Ffarquhar Engines
by The Blue Engine
Summary: With Thomas approaching 100 and the Ulfstead extension nearly complete, all the engines are excited. That is until a strong new tank engine named Titan arrives, making Thomas and Percy worried for their futures. As Rosie struggles with her workload, Bertie feels ignored and Daisy considers leaving, it looks as though Thomas' branch line won't make it to the grand opening intact.
1. Introduction

**I have always wanted to write something about Thomas turning 100 and what effect that would have on him. Since it would be around his 100th birthday this year, and it is the 70th anniversary of the series, now seemed like the perfect time. I hope you enjoy this latest Railway Series Book!**

**Ffarquhar Engines**

Dear Reader,

During my recent visit to the Island of Sodor, I made a short stop at the sheds on Thomas' branch line, and I was intrigued to find the little blue tank engine grinning broadly as I approached.

"You've spelt our station name wrong!" He informed with great glee. I was forced to chuckle, having recently discovered the mistake with my spelling in some of my recent books myself. I explained to Thomas that it had been noticed and corrected, but he was not satisfied with that.

"I think you should name your next book after the station," he instructed me.

"And I suppose that would mean I'd have to set the book in Ffarquhar as well?" I asked, and Thomas merely winked at me.

I wasn't going to give the cheeky engine the satisfaction of my error leading to him having another starring role, but that was before I learnt about everything that had happened there recently.

So here it is, a love letter and apology to the great town of Ffarquhar and the engines who work there – I promise to spell your name properly from now on!

The Author


	2. Clash with a Titan

**Clash with a Titan**

For the first time in Thomas' life, the town of Ulfstead was now in sight.

The extension project had been dragging on for nearly two years now. Accidents and delays had held things up, so much so that several times weeks had gone by without anything happening. But now, finally, the construction was nearing the end, and the final destination was closer than ever before.

_Nearly there _Thomas thought as he stared eagerly and longingly towards the town, so near yet still so far. There was only a month of construction left to finish laying the tracks and complete construction of the new Ulfstead Station, and preparations were already underway for the big opening ceremony. It was the biggest development to ever occur on his branch line, and Thomas had the satisfaction of knowing that _his_ line would be the first to complete its extension project, even if it had taken so long.

There was still about two kilometres left to go. Thomas had come to a stop several metres from the current point where the track ended, and Kelly the crane was now unloading the steel rails and wooden sleepers that would make up the next stretch of track. Thomas knew this would all be laid over the next week, snaking alongside the road to his left and the ruined castle to his right, as well as the hodge-podge of workers cabins that had been erected during the construction, but just how much closer would it bring him towards Ulfstead?

He had been eagerly eyeing the town the closer the track got to it. His driver had once explained to him it had once been fortified inside giant walls to prevent the townspeople from attackers, but the walls had long fallen into ruins over the centuries. Thomas could see the older cottages and shops that were congregated in the middle of the town, as well as the newer town houses and businesses that were growing around the outside. There was also a clear path marked out for the end of the line, and Thomas could not wait to get there and explore the old and the new and see the stones that were even older than him.

"All done, Thomas!" Kelly called out, and Thomas snapped out of his day dreams. The big blue crane rolled alongside with a wide smile on his face. "Still keeping an eye on the town, are you?" He asked cheerily.

"It seems like we have been building the extension forever!" Thomas huffed. "First the bridge took months to build, and now we have been laying tracks for over a year. I just want to get to Ulfstead and meet all the new passengers, instead of constantly bringing rails and sleepers and never getting any closer."

"I will have you know Thomas that we have been working very hard to keep this construction moving, and I take great offence –"

"None intended!" Thomas said quickly, seeing how easily and quickly he had annoyed Kelly. "I just want everything to move along, that's all." Kelly smiled and nodded, the anger fading to be replaced with a look of exhaustion.

"Don't we all, Thomas, don't we all," he murmured, and gave a weary toot before turning and driving away.

* * *

An hour later, Thomas was back in the Ffarquhar Yards. He had shunted his empty trucks away and was having a rest before taking Annie and Clarabel down to Knapford. His driver had parked him outside the sheds with his bunker in the sun, so Thomas was resting pleasantly with the sunlight keeping him nice and warm.

However, he was struggling to keep his eyes shut. All the tank engine could think about was the never ending construction and the last stretch of track that was taking too long to be lain. _Is it ever going to finish? _He asked himself. _Accidents seem to keep happening, there are always delays. What if I fly off the tracks again, or trucks go missing, or the station can't be finished, or… or… or…_

"Are you alright there, Thomas?" The voice shook him from his slumber, and a startled Thomas looked around, blinking rapidly as reflected sunlight shone in his eyes. There was a kindly laugh, and he quickly relaxed as he realized it was his driver and fireman.

"I was just thinking about the extension and how long it's taking," he replied sheepishly as the two men climbed inside his cab. "I'm worried something else is going to happen and hold it up."

"Don't be ridiculous Thomas!" His driver snorted. "All the other problems have been sorted out, and there is no snow for you to crash into this time of year! Besides, the Fat Controller is personally helping plan the opening ceremony, so he is not going to let anything happen!"

"Really?" Thomas gasped. "Why is he planning?"

"Don't you realise what year it is?" His driver asked sceptically, and Thomas was forced to shake his head in confusion.

"It has been one hundred years since you arrived on the Island of Sodor, and Sir Topham Hatt began construction on the North Western Railway. _This _Hatt wants to kick off the celebrations by opening the extension to Ulfstead."

"One hundred years!?" Thomas gasped, and his crew chuckled.

"Yes Thomas, you really are that old! You must be the busiest engine of your class still working," his fireman added. Thomas fell silent as all this began to sink in, and he did not say a word as he trundled across the points to where Annie and Clarabel were resting.

_One hundred years… _

* * *

Thomas remained lost in thought all the way down to Elsbridge, and probably would have kept going down the track if his crew wasn't in charge. With the sun baking his boiler and the sound of his wheels rattling and birds chirping all around him, it was easy for the tank engine to drift off, news of his centenary beginning to sink in.

_I have been on this branch line for most of those one hundred years. Look at it, barely changed in all that time: the same farms, most of the same houses, same tracks, same stations. Only the faces have changed, except for me. _

His buffers hit something, and Thomas jolted back to attention. With relief he realised it was simply a set of buffers at Elsbridge Station, but the tank engine quickly wondered why he was being shunted when he could see his passengers waiting on the platform.

"We have to clear the track, the new engines coming up the line," his driver said in response to his questions.

"New engine? What new engine?"

"Goodness Thomas, don't you _ever _listen?" Annie called exasperatedly. Thomas paused for a moment, and he could now recall hearing a new engine was arriving to help finish the construction. However, he couldn't remember anything else: his name, his colour, when he was arriving. _Maybe I am really getting old… _

At that moment, a deep, almost mournful whistle sounded down the tracks. Thomas peered down the tracks, and saw the passengers on both sides of the platform were staring towards the unfamiliar sound as well. Then, from around the bend, a plume of smoke appeared; this was followed quickly by one of the biggest tank engines Thomas had ever seen.

His paint was dark green, making him look like he was carved out of emeralds, and he did shine like a jewel as he roared towards the station. From afar he looked like Percy, but the closer the engine came, Thomas could see he was bigger and longer than Percy, and the curve of his saddle tank was not as prominent as his friends.

"Is that him? What does he look like?" Clarabel chattered excitedly.

"Big," was all an awestruck Annie could manage, and that summed up Thomas' thoughts as well. The engine roared into the station, a long line of trucks rattling quietly behind him, and the passengers all turned and watched him go.

Thomas tooted his whistle cheerfully and smiled widely at the engine. "Hello there, welcome to Sodor and my branch line!" The engine looked at Thomas as he passed, his thick face solemn and unresponsive, and he merely grimaced before rolling past. Thomas watched him pass in stunned silence, not a single word coming from the new engine, just the clatter of his trucks as they followed obediently behind. Never had an engine ignored Thomas on his own branch line before, and the tank engine remained in shock for the rest of his travels.

* * *

It was evening when Thomas returned to Ffarquhar, coming to a halt at the platform so the passengers he had brought up from Knapford could disembark. As doors banged open and passengers clunked about the station, Thomas cast his eyes across the yard, wondering if the new engine was here yet. However, he seemed to be the first engine back for the night: no sign of the new arrival just yet.

"Hello Thomas!" A friendly whistle sounded alongside him, and Thomas smiled as Percy came to a stop on the next track, empty flatbeds banging against his buffers. "We have been so busy down at the harbour today I thought I was never going to get home!"

"I can imagine. Now Percy, did you by any chance see the new engine today?" Thomas wanted to see if the mysterious saddle tank had treated anyone else badly. With a touch of delight, he watched as Percy's smile sank.

"Do you mean Titan? Yes, I saw him," he said with a pout. "He came to collect trucks for the extension from me, and didn't even say Hello or thank me after I shunted them for him! I don't know what I did, but I seem to have upset him." Thomas gave his friend a sympathetic look, though he was interested to see it was not just him this Titan was not being friendly towards.

"The same thing happened to me," Thomas explained as the two rolled into the yards together. "I said Hello to him when he passed me, but he didn't say a single thing in response."

"He is very rude," Percy huffed. "You would think he'd be happy to be on The Fat Controller's railway, it's a much nicer place to be then the Other Railway."

"I don't think it is the railway that is his problem," Thomas replied. "Did you see the size of him? He is much bigger than any of us – well, except Daisy, but she is different. He could probably haul twice the amount of trucks either you or I could, definitely more than Toby. And once the expansion is complete…"

"Thomas, you're not suggesting what I think you are, are you?" Percy gasped, and Thomas solemnly nodded.

"He wants to replace us, just you wait and –"

"THOMAS!"

It all happened in a second. Thomas felt his brakes slam on as a horn sounded in front of him, but it was all too late: a truck appeared out of nowhere, and Thomas slammed into it, feeling the wood break against his buffers. He shut his eyes, expecting something to come crashing over him, but the weight suddenly shifted as shouts sounded across the yard. Thomas opened his eyes and watched as the truck tipped over, cracking open on the ground and spilling stone everywhere.

A moment of silence fell, and Thomas felt every eye in the area shift from the fallen stone to land on him, a very clear and obvious culprit, and all he could do was blush. He looked to his right to face Mavis further down her train, looking at him with pure content, and it was that moment a large shape moved into the yard. Thomas had to stifle his groan as Titan rolled past the scene, casting his gaze over the site before meeting Thomas' eye, and the blue engine was sure there was joy in the new engines eyes.

* * *

It turned out some kids had been playing in the yard and had knocked the points, allowing Thomas to plough straight into the middle of Mavis' train. However, his crew and the yard manager still told him off for not paying enough attention to where he was going. Workers had to stay behind to scoop up the rocks and the broken truck, while Mavis and Percy shunted away the undamaged ones. It did not take long, but everyone was annoyed at the extra work, and they were all blaming Thomas.

The blue engine slinked into the shed quietly an hour later once his crew had checked him for any damage. As punishment, he was going to have to take the trucks to the harbour in the morning instead of Rosie. The pink engine normally greeted him cheerfully, but she could see he was down and merely smiled as he pulled next to her. Percy, Toby and Flora came in shortly after, no one saying a word as tension hung in the air. Thomas didn't want to speak, too embarrassed and annoyed to draw attention to himself, but after half an hour of tense silence, he suddenly noticed something.

"Where is Titan?" He said, making the others jump at the sudden noise.

"He's sleeping in the coach shed tonight," Toby said once he had recovered. Thomas paused and mulled it over.

"Won't they build him a spot in the shed, like they did for Rosie and Flora?"

"I'm not sure, Thomas, they might feel there is enough space," Toby replied with a yawn. Percy gasped, and all eyes flickered to him, but he merely mumbled something and pretended it was nothing. However, as everyone else began to drift to sleep, he met Thomas' eye, and the two had a silent understanding: if Titan was going to replace one of them, why bother building extra space when one of them would clearly be gone?

_One hundred years… what use am I after then,_ Thomas asked himself, and he drifted off to sleep that night feeling remarkably less excited for the extension than he had that morning.


	3. Runaway Rosie

**Runaway Rosie**

"Where's Thomas?" Gordon boomed as soon as Rosie came to a stop, looking at her suspiciously. "He's normally here to collect my passengers."

"Thomas had an accident last night so he has to take trucks today," Rosie explained brightly. "So you get to see me instead!" she added with a wide smile. Gordon grunted indignantly and looked away.

Rosie didn't mind though: she was just happy to be doing something new for a change. She normally only took trucks this early in the morning, and then she never got time to appreciate the world around her, too busy keeping the trucks under control while making she sure wasn't late.

The two engines sat in silence as the passengers crossed the platform. Rosie smiled cheerfully at Gordon while they waited, but the big blue engine avoided eye contact as though looking at her might contaminate him. After a few minutes, Rosie began to feel uncomfortable, but wasn't sure what to say or do. The situation was unlikely to clear up soon, as a passenger in a wheelchair was having difficulty getting out of Gordon's coaches.

"Hopefully the 3PM train goes quicker than this," Rosie said with a light hearted laugh. Gordon turned and looked at her with pure contempt.

"Are you _still_ going to be collecting my passengers then?" He asked. Rosie nodded, her smile dipping slightly, and Gordon let out a burst of steam as he rolled his eyes. "Wonderful, just _wonderful_. Well, if you are collecting my passengers from the 3PM train, make sure you are actually on time."

"What do you mean?"

"Thomas is normally here well before I arrive: today, _I_ had to wait, the indignity of it all. I used to pull the Express, you know? I don't want for anybody. Besides, the Main Line is set to a much stricter timetable than your little back alley branch line; I don't have time to wait while you talk to the cows or roll through the flowers or whatever it is you do. We are actually important."

"Excuse me, but I –," Rosie began, but a guards whistle cut across her thoughts. The disabled passenger had been helped from Gordon's coaches, and now he was ready to go. With another blast of steam, Gordon sounded his whistle and set off without another word. However, Rosie caught the glimpse of a wink as the tender engine rolled away, and the last of her joy faded away.

* * *

It was a slow and sad journey back to Ffarquhar, the exact opposite of her excitement this morning. Rosie moved mournfully between stations, barely managing her usual cheery smile at the passengers boarding and disembarking. She was too lost in thought, Gordon's words refusing to leave her.

_I am important, aren't I? _Yet the more Rosie thought about it, the more she felt like Gordon had a point. She had been working on Thomas' branch line for several years now, but despite all this time, she didn't have any special jobs. Thomas and Daisy were passengers, Toby and Flora dealt with the quarry line, Percy ran the harbour and Mavis was in charge of the quarry. Rosie simply ran about here and there, one day taking stone trucks when Mavis was busy, the next taking the milk van while Thomas dealt with the extension. She had to wait for a punishment or an accident until she got her own specific task, but that only lasted until her friend was fixed or redeemed.

_Maybe Gordon's right, maybe I'm not that important? _Rosie asked herself, and by the time she reached Ffarquhar, she couldn't even manage half a smile.

"What's wrong with you?" Rosie turned, having not realised that Daisy was waiting at Ffarquhar. The railcar had a look in her eye, as though Rosie's unhappiness might bring forth a bit of gossip for her feast on.

However, Rosie wasn't up to chatting. "I'm just not feeling very happy today," she replied crestfallenly, and Daisy's own smile sunk.

"Oh… you're not going to talk to me about it, are you?"

"Oh, um… no, I guess not?"

"Good," Daisy replied simply. "Whatever it is, I am sure you will feel better later."

"I'm sure," Rosie replied, though she doubted it. Once her passengers had all left, the pink engine left the station and rolled across the yards, moving over multiple points until she made it to the coaches shed.

"You two stay here for now, I will be back to pick you up for the 3PM train."

"You don't look very happy," Clarabel said as Rosie rolled past. "You normally have such a bright smile on your face. Is that about what Gordon said?" Reluctantly, Rosie nodded, and the coach pulled a face.

"Gordon? Ignore that big blue brute!" Annie called out. "He is always causing trouble; you can never take anything those big engines say seriously. Once, Henry tried to upset us by saying Thomas was never going to come back from his trip to York. We were both shaken up so badly by that, but we realised afterwards that the tender engines only want to amuse themselves."

"But you must have known Thomas was going to come back, so Henry's words couldn't hurt you. What Gordon said was true: I'm so unimportant that I don't even have my own job. I just do whatever everything else is too busy to do." At this, neither coach had anything to say – like Rosie, they both knew it was true.

* * *

Rosie's next job was shunting – every other engine was busy with other jobs, so she was being dumped with organising their trains. Thankfully, it was a busy, methodical job, and Rosie was able to distract herself as she moved trucks into different sidings. Because of the extension work, a lot of different types of trucks had been mixed up in various trains, so her job was separating the flatbeds, low loaders and wooden trucks and putting them with their own kind, ready to be taken back to the harbours, main line and the quarry.

_This is a great way to vent, _Rosie thought as she biffed a trio of trucks into a longer line, ready to be coupled together. The trucks grumbled and muttered under their breathes at being abused, but Rosie felt great, knowing for a second that at least she was more important than some workers on the branch line.

She let that thought sink in for a moment, and then she was suddenly weighed down by guilt. _What a horrible thing to think. Trucks are important, how could I even think something like that? They are probably more important than me – at least they have a job. _

"I'm sorry!" She called out, and the trucks looked at her quizzically.

"Was that aimed at me?" A cheeky voice called, and Rosie lit up instantly as Thomas pulled up alongside, a row of empty trucks rattling behind him. _Thomas, thank goodness! _She thought, smiling brightly at her fellow tank engine. Nothing made her happier than seeing her best and closest friend: he always knew what to say, thanks to his years and years of experience, and he was the right engine to cheer her up.

"No silly, you've done nothing wrong," Rosie replied, blushing as Thomas smiled back at her. "I was talking to the trucks – you see, when I took Annie and Clarabel out this morning, Gordon was there, and he –"

"Look who it is!" Thomas' angry huff made Rosie trail off, his attention clearly diverted elsewhere. She looked past Thomas and watched as Titan came roaring into the yard, a much longer line of trucks rattling behind: flatbeds piled high with track, trucks loaded with bricks and bags of cement, large steel girders, and right behind him were Jack and Alfie, their laughter sounding across the yard.

"He's going too fast; what if someone was on the tracks, he might cause an accident," Thomas grumbled. "And why is he bringing more track? I thought I had delivered enough yesterday. Was it not good enough, what I brought?" Rosie wasn't quite sure what to say in response, but she did feel crestfallen, realising that Thomas was too distracted to pay attention to her problems. The two sat in silence as Titan and his train disappeared from the yard, a distant whistle signalling he was heading straight for Ulfstead and the extension.

"He must already be planning to take my job; next minute he will be the one taking Annie and Clarabel, not you!" Thomas fumed.

"About that, do you want to hear what happened to me –"

"Oh Rosie, thank goodness you're here!" Resisting the urge to blow off steam, Rosie looked to her left this time as Flora came to a screeching halt, wincing as her trucks banged behind her. "The yard manager said you would be here – I need you to take these trucks down to the harbour."

"Now? Why can't you?" Rosie said, feeling bad for getting exasperated but not sure how else to feel.

"I would but they need me to take fuel back to the quarry urgently. Mavis has run out and there is already a backlog. You can come and do the shunting later, can't you?" Stifling back a sigh, Rosie nodded. "Thank you Rosie, you're the best!"

"Before you go," Thomas said as Flora was uncoupled and switched tracks, "weren't you going to tell me something?"

"Never mind," Rosie replied, forcing a smile as she rolled onto the right track. "It's not like it was important."

* * *

"Woah Rosie, do you want to slow down a bit? We can't let these trucks get control of us."

"Sorry!" Rosie cursed herself for letting her anger distract her, and she tried her best to slow down. She was stunned to realise she had already sailed past Elsbridge, and Toryreck was not far down the line. Unfortunately, her irritation had been growing all day, and having this job pawned off onto her only confirmed her worries: she was the spare, hanging around to do whatever no one else could do. She couldn't go to Anopha Quarry to help, she didn't have her own coaches or seats inside of her, she hadn't been running the harbour for several decades like Percy.  
_And maybe Thomas is right to be weary of Titan, _she thought. _If there is already not enough work for me, what am I going to do now that there's a bigger, stronger engine on the line? _

Unfortunately for Rosie, she was letting herself get too distracted. Unbeknownst to her or her crew, the stone trucks had managed to chatter briefly with the empty trucks back at the yard: they had told them about Rosie and how she had been bumping them all day. Now that she was roaring down the line, the trucks were ready to get revenge for their brethren.

It happened quickly.

Just past Toryreck was a junction, the tracks splitting off as they headed towards either Knapford Station or Harbour. Rosie rattled through the station, not realising just how fast she was going. The signal was red; up ahead, she could see Daisy making her way back from the station. Rosie knew she had to stop, and she began to slow down as the points came closer…

"NOW!" The shout was sudden and unexpected. Rosie cried out as she felt the trucks ram into her, hitting her with such force that the bang echoed. She was suddenly rolling forwards; Rosie looked behind and saw her crew chasing after her, but she was already gathering speed. She zipped past the signal, the track to harbour came and went, and Rosie knew what was happening straight away: she was a runaway.

"GO BACK DAISY, I CAN'T STOP!" Rosie screamed. The trucks were laughing behind her, their high pitched squeals sign they were enjoying her torment. Rosie tried to push back against them, but the train was already out of control and with her crew knocked from her footplate, she was unstoppable.

Daisy's eyes widened as Rosie got closer, and her driver quickly put her into reverse: the railcar roared backwards, quickly going at top speeds, but Rosie was hot on her tail. The countryside blurred past as the two engines sped back to the station; the only thing Rosie could clearly see was Daisy's driver calling for help.

"Slow down, you're going to cause an accident!" Daisy snapped.

"I can't!" Rosie wailed, and the trucks laughed harder. Knowing fighting back against the weight of the stone trucks was pointless, Rosie gave herself over to the speed, and merely braced herself for whatever would happen next.

Knapford Station quickly came into view. Whistles and shouts were quickly deafened by the roar of Rosie and her laughing trucks. She could see signals going red, workers clearing the platform; Murdoch was coming to a halt on the main line, and Rosie breathed a sigh of relief he had got here before she did. As she hurtled past the platform, the stationmaster feebly chased after her.

"DON'T WORRY, WE'RE GOING TO STOP YOU!" He yelled, but Rosie had trouble believing it. She looked fearfully at Daisy, but suddenly she swerved and was leaving her behind: the railcar fearfully watched her as she came to a halt in a siding, but Rosie didn't have the luxury of stopping, endless track rolling out before her.

_I'm on the main line, _Rosie thought fearfully, and a hundred different outcomes ran through her mind at once; so many engines worked this line, meaning there were countless trains she could crash into. Horrific images of shattered trucks and twisted coaches filled her mind, and Rosie whimpered as the trucks continued to cackle.

The world around her went dark, and for a moment Rosie was petrified, wondering if she had managed to crash without noticing. But there was suddenly an eerie echo, a ghostly shadow of the trucks laughter, and Rosie realised she was really in the tunnel heading towards Tidmouth Station. _Oh my god, what's going to happen if I reach there? _

The darkness ended quickly, sunlight blinding her as she burst out of the tunnel. Buildings lined the tracks, the ocean was spread out in the distance; Rosie had never been here before, and normally would savour all the enw and exciting sights. Yet she was on edge, speeding down an unknown track, no idea of when she would next see an engine.

It came sooner than expected: a deep, booming whistle sounded behind her, and Rosie looked to her left as Murdoch pulled up alongside: she could hear his wheels pounding the track and saw he was red in the face, and realised in a burst of relief that he was her to save her.

"Don't worry Rosie, I'm going to stop you," the big tender engine puffed, and he began to draw in front of her, thick smoke churning from his funnel. Rosie wanted to feel relieved, her ordeal nearly over, but as Murdoch pulled in front, the duo rounded a bend, and Tidmouth Station appeared before them. It was so big and imposing, and Rosie wondered how many engines were there, how many passengers might be crowding the platform.

_What will they all think of me if I hit something? _ _I'll be remembered as Rosie, the unimportant engine who caused a horrible accident by filling in, as always._

But then a whistle sounded, and Rosie watched as Murdoch crossed at the points ahead of her. The track was quickly switched and she was now racing towards him; without any time to process it, she shut her eyes and let herself ram into him. A jolt spread through her and she felt it go down her train, but there was no collision, only a heavy weight against pressing against her front buffers.

"PUSH, ROSIE, PUSH!" Rosie realised Murdoch was putting resistance against the momentum of her trucks, trying to slow them down enough for him to brake and stop the train. With a great deal of effort, Rosie pushed back against her trucks: they shouted and banged against her buffers, urging the runaway to continue, but she put all her weight and strength into slowing them down.

_You can do this Rosie, you can stop them! _

They sailed into the station, the whine of an emergency siren sounding all around them. The engines at the other platforms called out their support, and while she was too stressed to recognise anyone, Rosie realised that things were no longer blurred: they were slowing down! As she continued to fight the trucks, she passed a group of workmen standing poised on the platform, who all began running as soon as she approached. Knowing what they were trying to do, Rosie put every ounce of steam into slowing herself down, groaning and straining against the weight of all the trucks.

Something thudded into her cab. Rosie felt her brakes come on, and she winced as her wheels squealed against the tracks. Then she felt Murdoch's weight leave her buffers, and she opened her eyes, watching as he came to a stop a few moments after she did.

And she smiled.

* * *

"It's always nice to see you Rosie, but I must say, I am never too fond of unexpected arrivals like this."

Tidmouth had been thrown into chaos by her unplanned visit. After Daisy's driver had called Knapford, they had alerted Tidmouth to their plan for Murdoch to slow her down. In case it went wrong, the entire station had been evacuated beginning only five minutes before Rosie raced around the bend. Passengers now swarmed the ticket office complaining about being delayed, and Rosie was on the receiving end of many angry looks as disgruntled travellers returned to their trains.

But the pink engine was just happy to be alive. Her wheels and side rods hurt, she was out of steam, tired, sore and shaken, but relieved. After being thanked endlessly by her, Murdoch had taken the stone trucks back to Knapford as he went to retrieve his abandoned train, leaving Rosie alone with Gordon and James seething to one side, while a more sympathetic Bear smiled at her from the other.

And now the Fat Controller. Rosie had thought he would be annoyed with her, but he had an uneasy smile as he looked down at her, clearly relieved things had not been worse.

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to let this happen. The trucks just took control, and then –"

"Think nothing of it, Rosie, I do not blame you," her owner said, sighing but smiling as he said it. "Things could have been a lot worse had Murdoch not been there to stop you – I would rather not think about what might've been, it is simply too ghastly to imagine. Don't you agree?"

"Yes sir, definitely sir."

"Good," he replied, taking out a handkerchief and wiping her brow. "Ah look, here comes BoCo!" Rosie looked ahead as a green diesel she had only seen in passing a few times approached, smiling widely at her. "He is heading to Crovan's Gate and offered to shunt you back to Knapford on the way. I hope you are alright with that?" Rosie went to respond, but an angry grunt interrupted her before she could. She and The Fat Controller looked around, and Gordon stared defiantly back.

"Sir, I am already half an hour late with my train, and BoCo wasn't scheduled to go until after I had left! Surely a Main Line passenger train is more important than –"

"I am sorry Gordon, but right now, Rosie is more important than you. You can just wait your turn." Gordon looked as though the Fat Controller had just kicked him, but the railway boss had already turned away, donning his hat once again as BoCo was coupled to Rosie. "On your way now Rosie, and try not to have any more accidents – I have big plans for you, and I don't want them being changed."

"Yes sir!" Rosie replied, and she managed to whistle in farewell. She wasn't sure what he meant by big changes, but Rosie was simply happy to be noticed; if the Fat Controller thought she was important, than that had to mean something.

She met Gordon's eyes as BoCo shunted her from the station: the blue engine was watching her beadily, his face disgruntled and envious. Rosie stared back with a huge smile on her face and winked.

Next time, she imagined Gordon would be more than happy to wait for her.


	4. Bussed Around

**Bussed Around**

There was a buzz in the air at Ulfstead. The tracks were closer to the town than ever before, with Percy's whistle echoing around the township as he brought more supplies to the construction site. The people who gathered around the site of the new rail and bus station were staring down the open path marked out for where the track would lie, and they could see Percy on the very edge of Ulfstead, practically within their borders but not quite yet.

"Look, they are nearly here!" One woman whispered to her friends.

"I didn't think they would open on time!" A man said in a carrying voice. "I'm glad to be proven wrong!"

"Oh, the opening day will be _such _a blast!" An elderly woman chimed in, and soon a babble of noise descended over the gathered group, soon managing to make themselves heard over the hammers and saws at the station.

A loud horn interrupted the townspeople excited chattering. Bertie the bus looked impatiently at the people as his conductor waved his flag. The joy dispersed from the bus station as the gathered group split up, half clambering aboard the bus while the rest waited for the next one.

"Sorry Bertie; can't help but get caught up in the excitement!" If it had been anyone else, Bertie may have ignored them, but Mrs Major was a regular passenger always dressed in a lime green coat, and he managed a smile for her at least as she climbed up the stairs. His conductor glanced around and then blew a whistle.

_Finally,_ Bertie thought impatiently, and with a softer toot he set out of the carpark. He was ten minutes late now, and could imagine how cross Daisy would be when he finally arrived with her passengers.

However, Bertie didn't want to get annoyed. This was the first week the new Ulfstead Bus Station had been open, and the excitement had not yet worn off. His tyres were still enjoying the feel of the new tarmac, and the increased space was more than Bertie could have ever imagined: over one hundred car parks, a bus-only lane leading to a dozen bus stops right alongside the new station, plus the increase of people was nothing for him to complain about.

The bus soon left the station behind, shooting out of Ulfstead and rolling along the way to Ffarquhar. The country lane connecting the two towns together was wide and empty, and Bertie smiled to himself as he zipped towards his destination. The river ran softly alongside, while the sound of birds chirping was like music happening all around him. Plus, with no other cars, Bertie could afford to go a bit faster and make up for lost time. He smiled and rocketed on his way, knowing nothing would get him –

– HOOOOOONNNNKKKK

Bertie didn't think: he saw the shape come towards him and slammed on his brakes. He skidded, spinning as he tried to come to a stop, and his passengers yelled as they were thrown about inside. It only lasted a few seconds but seemed longer to Bertie, but finally he came to a stop. The peace and quiet of the countryside had shattered, replaced with a sudden, still silence that resonated around him, a pressure he could not escape.

A few moments passed, and then Bertie's doors squealed open. His driver and conductor stepped out, and only then did Bertie look around, following his crew as they walked towards Nelson. The transporter and bus were only inches from colliding, and Nelson's driver sheepishly got out of the cab.

"Sorry Bertie, we didn't see you there!" Nelson called out. Oliver, who was sitting on the flatbed, turned and tried to smile, but Bertie only half-heartedly responded. The joy he had felt leaving the bus station had vanished, and now he was stuck facing the construction, watching as the tracks neared ever closer to Ulfstead, the town that had been his for so long.

* * *

"Oh, _there_ you are. I was beginning to think I had imagined that a train was due to leave twenty minutes ago."

"Not now, Daisy," Bertie grumbled as he screeched to a halt outside Ffarquhar. His battered and shaken passengers clambered out of him and rushed up the stairs into the waiting railcar, the guard impatiently waving them in, flag and whistle at the ready.

"Do you have a reason why you are so late, or is your age merely catching up with you?" Daisy asked, and she tittered at her own joke.

"I nearly crashed into Nelson outside the construction site. He reversed and didn't notice me, like I was just in the background…"

"_Nearly_ had a crash? Oh, please! I hit a cow a few months ago and still managed to get to Knapford before Henry did," Daisy scoffed as the guard's whistle echoed throughout the yard.

"Oh my gosh! Was the cow alright?"

"Oh, yes, yes, I only knocked the poor thing over. I didn't kill it or anything – imagine the blood if I had? Just _ghastly_!" Daisy said with a shudder, and with a quiet toot she whirred down the line. Bertie watched her go mournfully: in the old days, he had run the roads that ran alongside the track, whizzing passengers up and down the line and in between towns. But that had been back when only Thomas, Annie and Clarabel had been around. Now, Daisy, Toby, Flora and Rosie all took passengers from one station to the next.

Mostly, Bertie enjoyed his friendly rivalry with the engines, and he never let it bother him. But for some reason, the bright red bus just couldn't shake a dark feeling that seemed to be following him around.

* * *

Bertie had to wait half an hour for Thomas to return with his passengers to take back to Ulfstead. His driver decided to go catch up with the stationmaster, and left Bertie parked beside the water tower nearest the station.

It was a cloudy day, with only thin rays of sunlight manage to seep through the grey, and none of them hit Bertie. He sat silently besides the tracks, watching Mavis come in with some trucks, but she was too busy to do more than toot at him.

The bus knew it had only been a few minutes, yet it felt like an hour. He could feel his engine going cold, and the occasional burst of wind did little to help his current state. Bertie tried to think about anything else, but his mind kept going back to the construction site, his near accident and what the future would hold.

After a while, the sound of an engine puffing snapped him out of his thoughts. Bertie looked to his right and watched as a strange engine pulled slowly into the siding and stopped by the water tower. For a moment, he was confused, but then Bertie remembered who Titan was. This was the first time the bus had seen the new engine up close: his rich green paint was both dirty but shiny at the same time; his face was rough, like carved out of stone; he was big and long, like a giant Percy, and Bertie was amazed.

_Look at the size of him! _Bertie thought. _Imagine if I got into a race with him!_

"Hello there!" The bus called out, and Titan seemed to jump, looking down the track before glancing down at him. "My name's Bertie; your Titan, aren't you?"

"Yes," the engine replied. Bertie waited, hoping he would carry on, but Titan merely looked back up, staring into space as his fireman lowered the hose into his tank.

"So, are you enjoying being on the branch line?"

"It's alright; seen better, seen worse," the tank engine replied. His voice was deep and rough, but he had the northern accent Bertie was familiar with from transporting tourists.

"How fast are you?"

"Fast? I've never really paid attention," Titan murmured back, his eyes flickering about as he avoided staring at the bus.

"We could test it, if you like. You're working the extension, right? We could race there, you and me – I'm very fast, you see, I have even beaten Thomas once or –"

"I'm busy… sorry," Titan grunted, adding the last word as an afterthought. Bertie's brief moment of joy dissipated, and he watched Titan roll away once his tanks were full without another word exchanged.

"Were you just talking to Titan?" A new voice made Bertie look up, and he found Thomas at the station, looking at the bigger tank engine as he shunted.

"Hello Thomas. Yes, I was; I asked him to race and –"

"He hasn't said a single word to me, not the whole fortnight he has been here! Why is he talking to you but not to me? Actually, I don't think he has spoken to anyone else. What makes you so special?"

"I don't know, Thomas, I really don't know," Bertie replied, sighing as his driver crossed the yard to collect him.

* * *

The trip to Ulfstead usually took half an hour with no traffic, and out here there was never any anyway. Bertie had expected smooth sailing back to the town, hoping a nice, fast run would clear his mind. Unfortunately, shortly after leaving Ffarquhar behind, he had run into a different, rarer type of road user: sheep.

"Sorry Bertie, damn things broke free while I was trying to round them up!" The farmer, a middle aged man Bertie thought was called Reggie, called out. Bertie smiled back to him, but was annoyed to be held up. Around three dozen sheep swarmed the road, plus two sheepdogs barking incessantly as they tried to move them back inside, but it was clear it would be awhile.

Bertie's driver turned off the ignition and began chatting to the patrons. With no one to talk to but sheep, Bertie simply sat there, stuck with his thoughts once again. He could see Titan in the distance, moving more supplies down the ever increasing track, and a mix of jealousy, anger and disappointment rose up inside the bus.

"Oh god, what's going on here?" A rattle and a clang came up behind him, and Bertie added dread to his emotions as Elizabeth clattered to a stop behind him, a trail of smoke coughing from her funnel. She paused, frowning at the scene before her, and glanced towards the bus. "Bertie."

"Elizabeth. I see you're in a pleasant mood today."

"I'm always in a pleasant mood; it's the rest of the world that's awful," the lorry replied toxically. "Why are there sheep on the road, and why hasn't someone pushed them out of the way yet?"

"Don't be so crude, Elizabeth!" Bertie snapped. "You can't just plough through sheep because they are in your way, that's horrible!"

"I seem to have touched a nerve," Elizabeth said drolly, smiling slightly. "Is something wrong, Bertie, or have you suddenly taken up a strong stance about sheep rights you want me to know about?" Bertie stifled a groan, knowing his mood would not improve with her sarcasm. However, it was clear they would not be moving anytime soon, and Elizabeth would understand his problems better than the engines.

"Actually, since you asked… I nearly had an accident today: Nelson reversed out of the construction site and came within inches of crashing into me. He apologised, and I'm not annoyed with him, but… well… the whole extension, it seems to be putting all the focus on the railway. They did the new bus exchange, and I thought that was nice for a while, but what good will it be when people are riding the rails exclusively? What use am I now that the rail has taken away one of my main routes? If I am so unimportant that trucks can nearly reverse into me without noticing, on my road, while servicing the railway, what is even the point?"

Bertie let the words hang there. He was relieved to have finally said them out loud, but it also made his plight seem more real to put his thoughts out into the world: was he overreacting about it all, or was there an issue at hand he had a right to be worried about?

"Is that all?" Elizabeth snapped after a few moments. "_That's_ what you are so worked up about?"

"Um… well, yes."

"God, I knew you buses were stuck up and selfish, but this… this is a whole other level."

"Me, stuck up and selfish? Have you ever listened to yourself –"

"Tell me, how old are you?"

"How old? Um… not as old as you, that's for sure."

"Exactly; I'm an outdated mode of transport compared to what's out there. I see the way some lorries look at me, with their diesel engines and oil leaks and air conditioning: I'm old, I'm useless, they can do it all better than me, and they know it.

"Yet I'm still here, aren't I? People around these parts like a bit of heritage in their delivery, and that's what I provide: an unique service none of those ten year old lorries can deliver."

"What has this got to do with me?"

"My point is that you make think your useless, but you're a lot younger than most of the engines dominating this island. And you too deliver a different sort of service: you're able to go more places, your able to travel outside of where two strips of metal tell you to go. Do you know how many of those engines can climb hills? Surprisingly few."

"But the extension, my routes will change or be cut completely. It's happened ever since more engines joined the railway."

"You're still aren't you? I was locked up in a shed for a decent amount of time but I'm still running. The island needs us lot around as back up. Do you know how many times those new lorries get recalled because their belt buckles are faulty? You'll always be needed with these engines around: they are more likely to crash into something than be on time, and whose there to save the passengers from walking home? You are."

Bertie paused, letting her words sink in. "So, you're saying I have no need to worry?"

"Oh yeah, you should be worried, you never know what might happen next. But I'm telling you to get over yourself: you've survived this long through all the changes, what's to say you won't survive the next? All I know is I won't be around much longer if these DAMN SHEEP are still in my way!" Elizabeth yelled, and she sounded her horn. The loud, sharp sound cut through the country air, silencing the dogs and making Bertie wince. However, it seemed to work on the sheep: startled and confused, the first one ran back towards the broken fence, followed by two more, and quickly the entire flock were sprinting back to their paddock.

"No need to thank me," Elizabeth said, setting off as soon as the road was clear. "I'm just here to help." And with that, the lorry disappeared down the road, leaving only a trail of black smoke behind her.

Bertie was left speechless. He wanted to sit there and dwell on what Elizabeth had said, but his driver started him back up, and the bus set off with everything still whirring around inside his mind.

A little way down the road was an old wooden bus shelter, located next to a smaller lane that jutted off the main road. Bertie went to rattle past the dilapidated structure, but a wrinkled hand jutted out from inside, and the bus skidded to a stop.

"Thank goodness it's you, Bertie." Mrs Major emerged from the shadows, her arms laden with groceries. She was so small and frail that Bertie's conductor leapt out of the bus to help her. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Sorry Mrs Major, some sheep held us up."

"That's alright, Bertie; as long as you came in the end, I don't mind how long I have to wait. Saves me walking home with all this lot! What I would do without you Bertie I have no idea."

"Thank you, Mrs Major," Bertie replied. He suddenly felt a lot brighter, and once his latest passenger was seated, the bus set off with a smile on his face and a sense of relief.

He didn't think about the extension once.

* * *

**I thought Bertie deserved his own story since he got fairly ignored in the Railway Series in the end. Not the most exciting of stories, but I enjoyed writing it, so hope people find it pleasant to read **


	5. Green with Envy

**Green with Envy**

Knapford Harbour had never been big. Percy could remember when he had first come to the construction site from Tidmouth; how small it had seemed compared to the big station and their even bigger port. After it had opened, Percy had wondered for a time just how he was going to work somewhere so small.

As the years went by, the homely little harbour became Percy's own. He was a small engine himself, and he realised he didn't need anywhere bigger. He had helped build it, and since then he had helped maintain and run it. Knapford Harbour was his, and Percy was more than happy to have this slice of Thomas' branch line to himself.

Yet one morning, a few weeks after Rosie's runaway, Percy found he had the entire line to himself. The day not even begun: the sun had barely broken over the horizon, a new day being heralded with a growing splash of orange across the sky. Some cows were grazing in the fields he passed, and Percy whistled to a farmer, but otherwise not a single soul was about.

_I have the entire world to myself: this certainly makes it worthwhile getting up so early,_ Percy thought as he raced freely down the line. An early shipment of timber for the new station was arriving at the harbour that morning, and Percy had been asked to collect it. He felt important, being given such a special task, and the fact all the other engines were asleep somehow made him feel even grander: it was as though the entire railway had been shut down, just for Percy and this delivery.

With a smile on his face, Percy left the main track at Dryaw and rattled down the line towards the harbour. He could hear the seagulls chirping now, and when Percy took a sniff, the salty smell of the ocean made him feel at home.

"Collect the wood, take it to the extension, and that's my first job done before anyone else is awake! I'm on a roll this morning, nothing can stop me now!" And with that, Percy whistled shrilly, rolled under the bridge and –

Then he stopped. Percy had barely caught sight of the sunrise-lit ocean when his driver suddenly applied the brakes. The little green engine came to a screeching halt, sparks flying from his wheels, and his good mood was shattered.

"Why have we stopped?" Shaken and confused, Percy grumpily gazed around, wondering what was going on. He quickly fell silent though, clamming up as he looked ahead: there, looming over him, was Titan. The big green saddletank, his face hidden in shadow, glared down at Percy as though he was a small animal that had crossed the tracks.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" Percy asked, his tone a mixture of confusion, indignation and fear. Titan raised an eyebrow, his stern face now slightly quizzical, and Percy wished he was back in his sheds, not here facing off with this foe.

"I was told to collect a shipment of timber. What are you doing here?"

"That's m-m-my job!" Percy stuttered. He watched as the harbour manager came running up to his cab, eager to look at something other than Titan's stern face. He listened as the manager and his driver had an intense, whispered conversation from his cab; his driver was angry, her angry words echoed throughout the quiet port, but after a few minutes the manager stepped away, a clear sign of defeat.

"I'm sorry Percy; there appears to have been a breakdown in communication. We've just wasted time and coal coming down here."

"So… there's nothing for me here?"

"Afraid not." Percy was crestfallen: he looked around the harbour, catching the eyes of many familiar faces, but they were too busy sorting out the timber to care for him. For the first time in years, Percy didn't want to be at Knapford Harbour; it suddenly felt cramped, suffocating, foreign – this wasn't the place he loved.

"I'm sorry you wasted your time," Titan mumbled in a way that didn't sound very sorry. "I didn't realise this harbour wasn't big enough for the both of us." Percy was speechless, unable to string a sentence together that would properly convey his feelings. He simply reversed out of the harbour, watching Titan's narrow eyes cloaked in darkness, left to wonder what the new engine meant all the way back to Ffarquhar.

* * *

"… and now I've had to come all the way back here where there's nothing for me to do. I woke up early this morning, I raced down there, and it was all for nothing!"

Thomas, Toby, Rosie and Flora had all been waiting to have their fires lit when Percy had come racing back from the harbour. The four had listened intently to his story, but now that he was finished, an awkward silence fell. Percy felt like he should say something else, but he was too flustered to think properly, and merely let out a grumpy whoosh of steam/

"You should complain to The Fat Controller, Percy," Thomas said finally. "Titan shouldn't be allowed to take our trucks and waste our time!" Percy was pleased his best friend was on his side, but the idea of telling the Fat Controller made his firebox freeze.

"Oh, I'm not sure about that…."

"Why not? Titan has his jobs, we have ours; he shouldn't just waltz on in and steal our work! That's not his role."

"To be fair to Titan, he was caught up in a miscommunication the same way Percy was." Thomas' eyes narrowed and he glared at Toby, but the tram ignored him and looked at Percy. "Don't let it get under your firebox, Percy; it's unfortunate that it happened, but it's not worth worrying about."

The engines soon left to start their days. Flora and Toby headed to the quarry, Rosie took supplies to the extension, while Thomas collected Annie and Clarabel ready for their first train.

Percy, however, had nothing to do. He wasn't needed at the harbour for several hours, and all the trucks in the yard were perfectly arranged for their next trains. There was no point wasting coal, so his driver drove him into the shed and dampened down his fire, telling him to catch up on sleep.

Yet Percy couldn't stop thinking. He stared through the cracks in the shed doors, watching the other engines racing about. He saw Bertie whizz past on direction, and then Rosie rattled back with empty trucks from the extension. They all had their jobs; they all had other things they could do. But for Percy, he only had the harbour. That had been his place for all these years. He had helped build it, he had fallen off it, he caused trucks to fall off it… they might not all be happy memories, but Knapford Harbour had always been Percy's.

_What sort of engine doesn't have a use? _Percy could remember the days he had spent sitting in that shed on the Other Railway, the months he had spent as a spare waiting to find a home. He had been cold and alone, the other engines all too worried about their futures to forge any friendships. On the day the Fat Controller arrived and chose Percy, the little tank engine had been over the moon to finally have a purpose. It may have taken some years to find his place on the railway, but Percy had one on Thomas' branch line and at the harbour, and he had been happy ever since.

Now, Percy knew if he lost the harbour, if the Fat Controller realised Titan was more useful than him, what would he do? The island had so many engines now that even with the extensions and work, what place would a little tank engine like him have?

_The harbour isn't big enough for both of us… neither is the island…_

* * *

When the engines awoke the next morning, they were surprised to find a yellow machine sitting on the tracks outside Ffarquhar Station. They could hear its engine humming from across the yard, and a plume of black smoke floated around the machine.

"What is that?" Flora whispered, not wanting to offend.

"That's Basil, he's the railways ballast spreader." Toby rang his bell cheerfully, and Basil replied with a soft honk, briefly gazing at the engines from over his glasses. "They must be nearing the end of construction if they've brought him in."

"A ballast spreader; what does that mean?" Rosie asked.

"Basil goes up and down the line distributing ballast over the tracks. He packs it in to make sure the tracks stay in place and that plants don't get through," Toby explained.

"I thought there were little engines over in Arlesburgh that worked with the ballast," Flora asked, looking perplexed.

"Those are the Arlesdale engines," Toby replied. "They bring ballast down from the mountains, and then that gets loaded through a special hopper into trucks on Duck's branch line that Donald, Douglas and Molly take all over Sodor."

"Have you ever met any of the engines? What are they like? I'd love to see where they worked!"

"It's only ballast, it really isn't that interesting." Flora fell silent; all eyes flickered across to Percy, who was half out of his shed and gazing off into the distance. When he noticed the silence, the green engine glanced back to his friends. "Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"And what, the harbour is a _wealth_ of excitement, is it?" Flora asked huffily. "I want to meet the engines, not see the ballast – there was no need to be so rude, Percy!"

"I'm sorry, I just –" but Flora had already looked away and launched back into conversation with Toby, and Percy's apology fell on deaf ears. The saddle tank sighed and went back to staring at the yard, waiting for his crew to arrive.

Percy had barely slept. All night he had been thinking about Titan, the harbour and his future; whenever he went to sleep, he had nightmares about being loaded onto a truck and driven away to a scrap heap while Titan watched. He had spent most of the night staring at the shed door, listening to the other engines sleep as he tried desperately to clear his mind.

Now, the tank engine was struggling to keep his eyes open. Percy wanted to roll back into his bunk and sleep, but the firelighter had started on him first, and he could already feel a warm glow moving through his pipes. It made him feel better, but Percy still wasn't ready to go out and face the world in this state.

"Are you ready to go, Percy?" His driver arrived with a smile on her face – clearly, she wasn't worried about Percy's future as much as he was. "

"Sure thing" Percy mumbled back, but where he was going, and what he would do when he got there, he had no idea.

* * *

It was quiet at the harbour. Percy quietly rolled under the bridge and unenthusiastically pulled up to the station, gazing around as he came to a stop. There were trucks haphazardly shunted together across the sidings. Seagulls were snoozing around the pier, while the sound of waves crashing against stone was as calming as ever. Yet something seemed different, and Percy knew it was nothing he could place his wheel on, but he couldn't ignore the feeling.

The harbour master emerged from his office and told them the trucks needed to be organised and out of the way for when the next stone delivery arrived. "Titan left things in a bit of mess yesterday." He didn't meet Percy's eyes as he said that.

With nothing else to do, Percy began systematically tidying. The trucks knew him, and though they grumbled and complained as always, they still moved where he wanted them to go. The tale of him punishing Bulstrode had been passed down from truck to truck, and they held Percy in a higher respect than they would any other engine.

_They wouldn't treat other engines like this_¸ Percy thought. _Titan wouldn't be able to handle these trucks, not like me._ He took some pleasure in that, but Percy quickly remembered how strong Titan was: he could easily haul trucks and bring them into line even if they didn't want to. _Another thing that's all mine he could do better…_

After what felt like hours, Percy had the trucks in order, and he prepared to take some of the empty flatbeds back to Ffarquhar. He was still tired, and yawned widely as he backed onto the train. However, he was just being coupled up when the harbour master appeared.

"Percy, you're needed at Knapford."

"Me? What for?" Percy asked with sudden fear, wondering if a train was waiting to take him back to the Other Railway…

"Murdoch's having a problem with his injector. Titan's going to push him back to Tidmouth, but they need the ballast up at the construction site urgently. Since you're closest, they've asked if you can take it."

_Me – replace Titan? _Percy thought, and he suddenly lit up with joy. Now was the time to prove to everyone just how useful he was: there was no need for another engine, there was no job Percy couldn't handle.

"Let's go show them what we're made of Percy," his driver called out.

_Yes we will_, Percy thought proudly, and he left the harbour feeling much better than when he'd arrived.

* * *

The ballast trucks were already waiting for Percy when he reached Knapford. The train was longer than Percy had anticipated; over a dozen hoppers loaded with ballast. It was clear why Titan had been asked to pull it, but Percy knew he could handle the task.

As he buffered up to the train, Henry roared out of the tunnel and rattled into the station. Percy heard a laugh, and he frowned as the tender engine came to a stop at the nearest platform.

"Are you _really_ going to be able to pull all those trucks?" Henry called out, scoffing.

"Yes I am!" Percy huffed.

"I've seen the twins struggle while pulling those trucks. You need a really strong engine in order to –"

"I know how to pull trucks Henry!"

"Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you." Percy knew he had to be careful, but his mind was clogged with the giddy glee that came with the opportunity. He was coupled up to the trucks and the guard blew the whistle to signal he could go.

_One… two…three…HEAVE!_ Percy reversed. The coupling tightened. The trucks moved – barely. Percy pulled back with all his might, his wheels spun, but the trucks didn't seeming to be moving at all.

"I don't mean to be that type of engine, but I did –"

"Be quiet Henry!" Percy snapped. He could feel himself go red in the face. He heard people muttering on the platform behind him, and he knew what they were saying: _maybe we should get someone else to do it? Maybe we should wait until Titan gets here – this engine clearly can't handle it…_

"COME ON COME ON COME ON COMEONCOMEONCOMEON!" Percy yelled. Finally, the tank engine built up enough momentum to get the wheels spinning, and Percy finally felt himself slip backwards. He looked around and realised the station was slipping away; Henry was still sitting there as he past, and Percy winked theatrically at him. The tender engine rolled his eyes, and Percy set off up the line laughing.

_Nothing's going to stop me now!_

* * *

An hour later, Percy wished he could stop.

The trucks were gruelling. He had pulled heavy trains in his time, and this was no harder than the worst of them, but Percy was drained. Getting up the hill past Elsbridge had been a struggle to stay awake, lest he fall asleep and go sliding back down again. He had managed to heave his train over the top, but now Percy wished he could crawl into his shed and sleep, regretting more than ever his worries last night.

But he couldn't stop yet. After passing through the Hackenbeck Tunnel, a rise in noise told Percy he was heading through Ffarquhar: he was near the end, but Percy still had to reach the end of the line. Wearily, the green engine chugged through the yard and swerved right towards the extension, Rosie and Daisy watching as he passed.

"He's about to pass out!" The railcar exclaimed, her shrill cry echoing throughout the yard. Percy glared at her from behind the trucks, but he knew she was right. His buffers, his coupling hook, his wheels, his side rods, his pipes, _everything_ hurt, and his tiredness only exacerbated the pain.

"We're nearly there, Percy; once we deliver these trucks, you can head back to the shed and have a nice long rest," his driver called out.

_A rest… I'd love a rest…_ Percy thought. He noticed things had gotten quieter: over the sound of his wheels, he could hear the wind rustling through trees, hear birds chirping as they took off into the sky. _It's so peaceful, I think I might sleep now…_

Percy didn't mean to fall asleep. He simply shut his eyes for a second without thinking, hoping it would be enough to rejuvenate him. Yet the seconds dragged on, and within a minute the tank engine was fast asleep. His crew had no idea, too busy focusing on keeping the train going. However, after several minutes, the lead truck wondered why Percy hadn't opened his eyes, and excitedly realised what had happened.

"He's asleep!" He hissed. The whisper was picked up and passed down the line, and quickly all the trucks were talking in excited sniggers.

"He's asleep, he's asleep!"

"What do we do?"

"Push him off the rails! Bump him, bump him!"

Tittering and giggling, the trucks surged forwards. Their combined weight slammed into Percy with such force his crew toppled over in the cab. Percy was so deep in his sleep he didn't notice, but the trucks laughed as they picked up speed, and suddenly the train was hurtling down the line.

Workers turned and watched Percy and the trucks hurtle by. They quickly called the other end of the construction site and warned them of what was coming their way. The extension was long and they knew if the train kept gathering speed, they was no telling what would happen when he reached the end of the line.

Kelly, Isobella and Byron were at the point where the track ended. Kelly was unloading premade track from flatbeds Titan had delivered that morning, while Byron was flattening the ground ready for it to be laid. The line was just outside Ulfstead now, and within a fortnight the track would be finished.

"Why is everyone running?" Isobella asked. Bryon and Kelly looked up from their work, and they both gasped as they saw Percy round the corner.

"Runway engine!" Kelly yelled. The machines watched as workers fled from the tracks, leaving Percy unopposed to race down the line. "If he comes off the track at that speed he'll be destroyed!"

"Not if I can help it" Byron grunted. He raced as fast as he could across the field and came to a stop just shy of the end of the line. The bulldozer dug his blade into the ground and readied himself to push. "Get back you two – this isn't going to end well!"

"BYRON, NO!" Kelly yelled. He and Isobella both sounded their horns in protest, and the combined noise stirred something in Percy. The tank engine opened his eyes, wondering what all the fuss was about. Quickly, he saw trees and workers passing by in a blur, and Percy stared into the face of the laughing truck and realised what was happening.

"NO YOU DON'T!" He yelled, and with every bit of strength he pushed back against the trucks. He slowed them down a bit; not enough to stop them, but enough so Percy's driver could scramble back to her feet. She lunged forwards and slammed on the brakes: Percy winced as sparks flew from his wheels, his brakes groaning against the weight and speed. For a moment though, it looked like it was enough…

But it was too late.

Percy smashed into the flatbeds; even at the reduced speed, he was still going too fast. The trucks snapped and were sent flying, the tracks being hurtled across the field. Percy groaned in pain and hoped that was all he'd have to suffer, but then he felt his wheels leave the tracks.

Byron groaned as Percy hit him, the weight of the tank engine causing something to snap. Percy himself felt his bunker slammed into something hard and metal; he felt it bend under the pressure, his entire frame groaned. The runaway wasn't going any further, but the energy the train had built up didn't stop as easily. The trucks obliterated against his buffers, exploding into pieces and showering everyone in ballast. Byron and Percy slid back under the combined weight, moving nearly a metre before the trucks had stopped, a giant pile of broken wood and spilt ballast.

A sudden silence settled over the construction site as the brief nightmare came to an end. Percy could barely see, his eyes blinded by the ballast, but he could just imagine what he would find when he did look up, and cold dread spread through his battered body.

* * *

It was always going to be Titan that arrived to clean up the mess, Percy had realised that early on, but it didn't make it any less tough to see. Their eyes met as Rocky turned and lifted Percy onto Madge's flatbed, the bigger engine perhaps triumphantly watching as the smaller was lifted from the wreckage of his train. Percy was the one being raised through the air, but he had never felt so low.

"Metres of new track broken, weeks work of mining ballast lost, dozens of trucks destroyed. And now we are without a bulldozer to smooth out the track bed and one of my branch lines is without an engine. I would scold you Percy, but really I am just speechless at the moment."

"I'm sorry sir." Percy knew it wasn't enough, but he had to say it anyway. Looking at the Fat Controller was harder than facing Titan; it was a withering look of disappointment Percy knew all too well, and he couldn't face it again.

"I know you are Percy, but right now, that isn't good enough. One of my engines falling asleep and causing all these chaos, possibly endangering the success of this extension… it will take a lot more than sorry to fix this." The Fat Controller surveyed Percy's damaged buffer beams, his dented bunker, cracked funnel, and he sighed. "You'll be at the works for a long time. Titan will have to cover some of your jobs as well as helping with the extension. I am not happy about this, Percy, not happy at all… Take him to the works, Madge – I'll deal with you when you get back."

Percy was heartbroken. He watched as the Fat Controller turned away without a second glance, examining the wreckage as Jack and Alfie arrived to scoop up the ballast. As Madge drove Percy away, the saddle tank looked back to Titan and found the big engine watching him leave, and Percy knew his nightmares had come true.


	6. A Hard Day for Daisy

**A Hard Day for Daisy**

Daisy was bored. She didn't want to be, yet she was: it was simply a fact. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the extension still wasn't finished, and Daisy was bored.

"Are we moving any time soon?" She groaned loudly to her driver.

"We have to wait for Mavis to pass," he snapped back quickly. It was the fifth time in three minutes Daisy had asked, but the railcar hadn't realised. She had become indifferent to the reality of time, the long minutes she had spent in the siding staring at the endless fields of grass around her stretching into hours in her mind.

A horn sounded down the line. "Finally!" Daisy exclaimed, causing birds to erupt from a nearby tree. She looked behind and saw the familiar black box that was Mavis rolling achingly slow towards her, an endless line of trucks rattling obediently behind her.

"Took you long enough!"

"Some of us have real jobs to do, Daisy. Most engines don't spend all day zipping around picking up passengers." To anyone else, the strain and annoyance in Mavis' voice would have been a sign of her struggle controlling the trucks, who had been all riled up since Percy's runaway a few weeks ago, and would have not taken her comment personally.

However, to Daisy, it was the worst thing anyone had ever said to her. In her bored and irritable state, the rudeness behind the insult was exacerbated, and the green engine was instantly deeply offended. She went to respond when a whistle interrupted her thoughts: on the other track, Rosie appeared with a smile on her face, a pink gleam as she raced by with a train of empty cattle trucks.

"Morning Daisy, morning Mavis!" The tank engine flashed Daisy her broadest grin as she passed, whistling again at Mavis. The diesel honked wearily back in reply, but then didn't even glancing at Daisy as she rolled by.

"Rude!" She hissed under her breath, but Mavis didn't respond, infuriating the green engine more. It was another five minutes before Daisy was allowed to leave the siding, but her continued delay no longer bothered her, time speeding up as the railcar dwelled angrily on Mavis' comments.

"What's got you riled up?" James asked a short while later, eyebrows raised as Daisy slid scowling into Knapford Station.

"A lack of appreciation, that's what!" She snapped back as her doors slammed open. "Mavis just told me, very rudely I might add, that I don't do '_real work'_! Well, I'm sorry I don't have frilly little cowcatchers around my wheels, so I can't spend all day banging trucks of dust around in a failing quarry! I do four trips a day sometimes James – FOUR! – and never once do the others congratulate me on my work. No no _no_: unless you have a number painted on your side, you don't matter on this little line!"

"I didn't think Mavis had a number," James pointed out, trying not to smirk as Daisy's face went redder with rage. Before he could say anything else, the guard's whistle blew and the red engine deliberately blew steam across the platform. "Why don't you go and take some trucks over to the extension? Maybe then you can finally be useful."

Daisy sounded her horn as loudly as possible, and James set off down the line chortling merrily to himself. Enraged, Daisy remained at the platform glaring into the distant tunnel, waiting for her next train to arrive with increasing rage. She had nothing to distract herself from her thoughts, and her anger simply grew with each passing minute.

When Bear finally emerged, it was with a weary smile as he raced up to the platform. "Sorry to keep you waiting, I was held up and –" but the diesel fell silent as he saw the glare on the railcar's face: every sensible engine knew that there was no winning with Daisy when she was in a mood.

* * *

It was dinner time when Daisy finished her last run of the day. She roared into Ffarquhar with coughs of black smoke following like a cape behind her, and when she came to a grinding stop, her passengers emerged onto the platform with sour looks on their faces.

"You were a bit rough there – is something bothering you?" Her driver leaned out of the window and looked Daisy directly in the eye, eyebrows raised quizzically. The railcar merely shot him a sullen look, and he replied with a sigh as he sank back into his chair. "Whatever the problem is, try to snap out of by tomorrow. There'll be complaints if you keep it up." Daisy didn't care about complaints, and was annoyed at her driver's lack of attention to her problems. In punishment, she played up all the way across the yard, stopping and starting several times until her engine started to groan.

When she finally reached the sheds, Daisy found them empty and realised she was the first one back for the night. Her driver angrily stopped her just inside the wooden coach shed, and he left with only a rushed goodbye. The railcar scoffed at the sight of his retreating figure, and added that to her list of grievances. However, she was growing tired of keeping her feelings to herself, and she longed for someone to vent to.

Yet as the minutes ticked by, there were no signs of the other engines. The yard was unnaturally still and quiet for this time of day, and Daisy was left to wonder what was holding them up. She normally was the first engine back, sometimes beaten by Flora or Rosie, but she never had to wait this long before someone else arrived. Daisy was fit to burst with her anger over the day's events, and the longer she waited, her worry turned to yet more anger.

Unfortunately for Daisy, she had not quite grasped the enormity of what her fellow engines were going through.

Their lives had been chaotic since Percy's accident. With the damaged trucks having to be cleared, and Byron also needing repairs after trying to stop the crash, construction was held up. However, the Fat Controller was insistent it stick to schedule, so the engines were working double to cover the workload.

Thomas, Rosie and Titan were racing up and down the line, dropping off workmen, machinery and supplies needed to get the line to Ulfstead. However, at the same time, all the other jobs on the branch line had to be completed. Mavis was forced to take the stone trucks down to the harbour all on her own, leaving Toby and Flora to deal with the shunting on top of their passenger trains. Rosie and Titan were covering Percy's leftover jobs at the harbour, while Thomas was trying to pick up as much slack as possible, refusing to let Titan take any job if it was offered to him first.

Daisy had noticed this all in passing, but she had not really paid attention. She didn't care for trucks and that sort of work, so when the other engines spoke of their goods trains, she tended not to fully pay attention. She also didn't care about the extension, as no one important had spoken to her about it, so she did not think Ulfstead would have anything to do with her. All the extra work her fellow engines were doing simply passed her by, and as such, Daisy was left to wonder what was holding them all up.

* * *

Eventually, they began to appear. First was Rosie, who reversed into the coach shed with Annie and Clarabel. Excited, Daisy prepared to launch into her brewing rant, but Rosie didn't even look her way and left the coaches without saying a word. She went and joined Thomas in the engine shed, the blue engine arriving just moments before the familiar grunt of Titan sounded behind her shed.

Daisy, frustrated at being denied an opportunity to vent, shot a glare at the two tank engines as they wearily discussed their days. The railcar was so busy watching them that she didn't notice Flora arrive soon after with Peach.

"Evening Daisy!" The yellow tram managed to inject some enthusiasm into her speech despite her tiredness. Daisy muttered a distracted greeting while Flora was uncoupled from her double decker coach, and only realised she was there when it was too late.

"Flora, wait!" She exclaimed, but the tram had already left. Daisy stifled a scream, and watched with frustration as Flora easily entered the others conversation: why was no one that interested in how her day had gone? She was just contemplating saying something loud and rude when a familiar bell interrupted her thoughts.

"Hello Daisy," Toby said with a slight sigh as he shunted Henrietta and Elise into the shed. "How was your day?"

With a wave of relief she couldn't possibly describe, Daisy looked eagerly at the older tram and unleashed the emotion that had been building up all day. "You won't believe what Mavis said to me today!"

"And what was that?" Toby asked. He simply intended to be polite, too tired after a long day shunting at the quarry to really engage, and was taken aback as Daisy launched into her well-rehearsed tirade. The railcar began by explaining how she had been delayed by Mavis in great detail, emphasising how long she had to wait and how hot and tired she had been.

"And then, when she _finally_ comes past, she out of nowhere points decides to tell me that I do not do 'real work'. Can you believe that Toby, can you _believe_ she would be so rude to me?"

"Well, maybe she has a point." Toby had not meant to be so blunt – in fact, he had not intended to say anything at all. The words had simply slipped out before he had properly considered them. The tram froze as soon as the words left his mouth, realising what he had said, but it was too late: the damage was already done.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Daisy asked, horrified. If anyone was going to hear her out, she had expected it to be Toby: the fact he had thrown her complaint right back in her face was the ultimate insult.

A few moments passed in tense silence. Daisy knew the coaches were watching, listening, waiting for the next bit of gossip. It was humiliating, and Daisy wished she hadn't brought it up now, but then Toby looked back at her and she knew the tram wasn't going to leave just yet.

"I know you do not want to hear this, Daisy, and I am sorry I have to say it, but Mavis has a point." Through his tiredness, Daisy could tell Toby was trying to be comforting, but that didn't console her hurt feelings. "All you take is passengers, and throughout all this extra work, you have still just taken passengers. If you get asked to take trucks, you complain until the burden gets passed to someone else. All you have down with the extension is dropping off workmen, and you have made it clear you do not even want to do that. I am truly sorry, Daisy, but I think what Mavis meant was… you have no idea what hard work is really like."

His words hung in the air, like flies swarming around Daisy. Her mouth hung ajar as though she was about to speak, but she remained silent: she had spent all day wanting to talk, yet now she was speechless. She heard Toby apologise but didn't say anything, and she didn't notice as he slinked quietly away.

As the other engines went effortlessly to sleep, Daisy was kept up all night. Rage was replaced with regret, anger turned into despair, and embarrassment faded away into shame. By the time tiredness won out and sent her drifting off to sleep, Daisy was left with only one thing on her mind: what if the other engines had a point?

* * *

For the rest of the week, Daisy thought of little except what Toby had said. She carried on her jobs, taking passengers up and down the line, with little interest or attention to what she was doing. This was, after all, all she did or had done for many years now, and knew the line off by heart. Her driver remarked after two days how quiet she had been; no complaints, no grumbling, no arguing.

"I don't know what's gotten into her, but it's certainly been a relief!" He told her while they waited at Toryreck. He and the stationmaster laughed, but Daisy was in no mood.

There had been times in the past that engines had mocked her for her work, or she felt like she hadn't done much. However, never before had Toby, the one engine that had always defended her, the one engine whose opinion she respected the most, been the one to criticise her.

_If even Toby thinks I don't do proper work, then maybe they've all been right this whole time_…

* * *

The weekends were slow on the Ffarquhar branch line. Unless there were special events on, passenger trains only ran once every ninety minutes. People were less likely to leave the house, or if they did, it would only be to head into town. Daisy's seats were normally empty, but the lack of passengers made for hassle free runs that always ran on time.

However, this weekend was to be different. With the railway extension meant to open very soon, the construction team was working overtime to guarantee it was ready on time. The track had finally breached the old walls of Ulfstead, and the station was roaring towards completion. Despite the progress, more stone was needed, and last minute supplies were arriving at Knapford Station, having been arrived on a fast train from the Mainland.

The steam engines awoke sleepily on Saturday morning, their long rest not enough to ease their aching axles and weary wheels. As the firelighters prepared them for a day's work, the Fat Controller walked into view.

"Morning sir," the engines chorused, and the suited man smiled.

"You all sound wide awake and ready for work, that's good to hear!" He boomed. The engines exchanged brief looks but didn't say a word. "Now, there has been a change of plans, I've been told. Mavis has suffered some engine trouble this morning and is going to have to stay in her shed. Now Toby, you were going to meet Arthur at Knapford, but I am going to need you to collect stone from the quarry instead. Rosie, you will be collecting the goods instead."

The two engines knew better than to complain in front of their boss, and simply smiled and accepted their orders. Satisfied, the Fat Controller then turned his attention towards the coach shed.

"The reason I am here on a Saturday is to see you, Daisy. I have a friend arriving today at lunch time, and he wanted to have a tour of the branch line. I've arranged it so that you can take us."

Daisy was sitting just inside the shed, the sun just starting to reach her as it rose over the island. She had been listening through gaps in the wood to what had been said, listening but her mind lost in thought. Yet as the Fat Controller spoke to her, Daisy snapped into reality, realising a golden opportunity had suddenly presented itself.

"Sir, why doesn't Rosie take you? She could borrow Henrietta or Peach – I am sure they are much nicer than my smelly old seats."

The Fat Controller looked startled. "That's a fair suggestion, Daisy, but I will admit I am surprised. I've never known you to turn down a job like this before. Besides, who will collect the goods if not Rosie?"

Daisy paused, feeling everyone looking at her, and then she uttered several words she never thought she'd say.

"I could always pick up the trucks."

Silence, and then Thomas began to snigger. That set off Rosie and Flora, and despite her new found boldness, Daisy turned and shot them an angry glare before looking tentatively at her owner. If he had looked surprised before, that was nothing to describe how The Fat Controller looked now.

"Well, I… I must say… very unexpected." He removed his top hat and dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief, looking curiously between Daisy, her driver and his attendants. "I mean, my grandfather even noted in his diaries about your first day here, with the milk van and all, so I have always thought – "

"I know sir, but I want to make up for that sir," Daisy interrupted. "I haven't done much to help with the extension, and the other engines are very tired, so I thought I would do something nice for them, and… and…" She wasn't sure what else to say, so Daisy simply finished and half-smiled. The Fat Controller seemed to have recovered from his initial shock, and he now wore a serious look as he pondered her suggestion.

"There are a lot of things that could go wrong here, and plans have been made… however, I do appreciate you stepping up and helping your friends out, so… I approve!" Daisy's smile exploded into an enormous beam, and she sounded her horn in joy. "I will go alert the station master to the changes so he can make the proper arrangements. Good luck with your train Daisy and I will see you later Rosie."

The Fat Controller left, but the shock of his decision hung in the air long after his top hat had disappeared from view. The steam engines all looked at Daisy with a mix of shock, horror and pride, the latter coming mostly from Toby. The railcar smiled in their direction, but for once, she didn't care what the other engines thought. Not yet anyway.  
_Just you wait and see. When I come back with my trucks, you will see I am just as hard working as you. Today's the day Daisy shows what she can really do. _

* * *

Arthur looked surprised when Daisy came to a stop alongside him.

"Oh, hello Daisy!" The maroon engine chirped. "Sorry, I thought you were going to be Rosie. Is there a passenger train coming through?"

"No, Thomas will be down later." Daisy flashed the large tank engine a confident grin. "I am here for you actually."

Normally one of the most polite engines on the railway, even Arthur could not disguise his shock. "F-f-for me? The trucks?"

"Yes, the trucks!" Daisy huffed. Was it really that hard to believe she might be able to pull a train? "Rosie has another job, so I am taking her train."

"Well, that seems fine to me!" Arthur chuffed, smiling once more. "I only just arrived myself, so I haven't even shunted the trucks over."

Daisy wouldn't have admitted it, but she was pleased the train wasn't long. It was only six trucks plus the breakeven, nothing like the monstrously long stone trains Mavis normally pulled. As she crossed the right tracks in order to face the right way, Arthur shunted the train into a siding and then left with a friendly whistle. He disappeared heading east, and once he was gone the Main Line was empty.

_No one around, no one to see if I fail, _Daisy thought as she backed down on the trucks. She felt her buffers touch the front trucks, a feeling she hadn't felt for years, perhaps even decades.

"Are you sure you're up for this Daisy?" Her driver asked as the shunters coupled the train together. "I am not sure why you wanted to do this, but you can always back out –"

"No thank you, I want to do this," Daisy replied firmly. She was annoyed at his lack of faith, but knew he was right to worry. She was afraid herself: all the way down from Ffarquhar, her nerves had gotten worse and worse. What if something went wrong? What if she couldn't pull them, or she ended up crashing?

_I have to do this, no matter what happens – not for them, for me. _Daisy knew the only way she could silence her critics, the only way to prove she was just as capable as them, was to actually do something about it. She didn't know what she would have done had this opportunity not, but Daisy was not going to turn it down now. She to do this – she had to show them, and herself, that she could.

"All ready to go!" The shunter yelled. The guard's whistle blew, her driver released her brakes: the train was about to depart.

Daisy rolled forwards, the most nervous she had ever been. She felt her wheels turn. She felt the coupling strain the further she got away. And then the weight hit her. It may not mean much to the other engines, but Daisy nearly groaned as she felt the trucks weigh her down. She slowed, and her driver leaned out the window.

"Are you doing alright?"

"I'm fine," Daisy snapped, not ready to admit defeat just yet.

"What's the matter, Daisy? We not good enough for you?" One of the trucks sneered.

"I heard she blew a fuse once trying to pull a milk truck," another sneered, and though there was only a few of them, their cackles echoed, making it sound like there was an army of them.

"Be quiet, you rude little monsters!" Daisy huffed, and as though to prove a point, she roared forwards. The weight was immense for her light frame, but the trucks were jerked into silence. Daisy held back her pain and forced herself forwards, and was stunned when the platform began to effortlessly roll past.

There was a screeching whistle from down the line, and James rattled into view with several coaches. He flashed a wicked grin when he saw Daisy, but his smile turned to shock when he saw what was behind her.

"Morning James. Taking it easy, I see." The red engine speechlessly passed through the station, and Daisy simply laughed as she tore out of the station.

* * *

At the end of the day, there was no drama to be found. Just over an hour after she had left Knapford, Daisy slowly made her way into Ffarquhar, arriving with trucks for the first time ever.

It had not been easy sailing. Any steam engine built to haul trucks would have found it a breeze, but Daisy was not meant for such work. The trucks had mostly kept in line, allowing her the momentum to keep on going, but things were trickier going uphill. Daisy's engine groaned at the weight, and the trucks tried to hold back several times.

It was times like this when Daisy had felt like giving up – how easy it would be, to stop fighting and just roll back down the hill, letting her tired frame rest and move on? But every time that thought crossed her mind, Daisy would scold herself and then urge herself onwards.

_If I fail, then the others will be right. They will never let me forget it, they would always hold it against me: the time Daisy tried to be like us and failed. That's not who I am, that is not what I want to be._

It took every last bit of willpower and strength, but Daisy forced herself onwards, over hills and round bends, constantly reminding herself why she was doing this and why she needed to keep going.

And then, finally, she made it. No accidents, no delays, nothing she couldn't handle. Never had Ffarquhar looked more beautiful than when Daisy arrived, tired and sore but the most proud she had ever been. _I did it_, she thought, smiling widely, and then, unable to contain it anymore: "I DID IT!"

Toby, Rosie and Titan were the only engines around when she pulled into the yard. The latter was taking trucks to the extension, and was to relieve Daisy of her duties. The railcar hid her relief as she was uncoupled, and instead sighed and looked proudly at her friends.

"I did it. I can't believe I did it, but look at that, I did it!" The railcar tooted her horn happily and flashed them all a grin.

"That's great Daisy, good work!" Toby and Rosie both smiled and sounded their whistles in chorus. However, Daisy could see something in their eyes, the way the two looked at each other. They may be acting happy for her, but it was just that: acting.

"You want to say something," she purred quietly, her happiness fading. "Don't hold back – come on, say it."

Rosie blushed at being caught out, and she looked nervously between Daisy and Toby. The tram knew better than to lie to the railcar, and he sighed, the same sound of defeat he'd made the other night.

"We are truly happy for you Daisy, we know what an achievement this is. But… it is only six trucks. It's not quite the same as taking a dozen or more twice, thrice, sometimes even four times a day."

Daisy felt like her engine had just been ripped from her frame. Devastation crashed down all around her. Here she was, having tried her hardest to prove herself, that she was not as weak and useless as they all thought, but it wasn't enough. She could not pull twenty trucks full of stone, it would probably tear her in half. _But is that the only way I can prove myself? Is that the only way I'd be able to be accepted – doing the impossible? _

"Why does it matter how many trucks she can pull?" The deep voice came out of nowhere. Daisy jumped and looked around, wondering who it was. It was only then that she realised it was Titan talking, his narrow eyes gazing judgingly out at them. She had never heard him talk before, and his low, rough voice was startling. Yet, strangely, it seemed he was on her side.

"I never told Daisy to pull trucks. Mavis said something to her, and I was trying to clarify her point to Daisy, that she doesn't do the same sort as us," Toby explained. Titan frowned and looked at Daisy.

"But she is a rail car. Why does it matter if she doesn't work as hard as you; she works as hard as her build allows."

"I know that, I have never doubted that," Toby said defensively. "I was just making a point that perhaps got out of hand." Titan went to say something else, but was interrupted by the appearance of two figures. They all instantly recognised The Fat Controller, who was wearing a more casual navy jacket over a plain white shirt, but his friend was unfamiliar. Wavy grey hair, handlebar moustache, slim figure encased in a velvet smoking jacket: someone so smartly dressed shouldn't be wandering about a yard, and Daisy wondered who he was.

"Ah, hello Daisy, how did you train go?" The Fat Controller asked.

"It was fine, sir, no problems," Daisy replied stiffly. She was still upset over Toby's comments, though Titan's defence of her had at least stopped her from crying.

"Is this the railcar who pulled the trucks?" The grey haired man asked, his voice posh and booming.

"Engines, this is my old school friend, Lord David Brandon," The Fat Controller explained. "He runs a small heritage railway in the West Country, and he is visiting to see how we are managing the extensions to this line."

"You're doing a splendid job, all of you!" The Lord said, making Toby and Rosie smile. "However, he is not being entirely truthful. I am looking for some more engines for my collection, and seeing as Richie here has so many now, I thought I might take one off his hands. I mean, what use do you have for a railcar that pull trucks?"

The Fat Controller laughed, but it was a dark, humourless chuckle. "I told you David, none of my engines are for sale. I couldn't possibly part with any of them."

"But sir… what if _we _want to go?" She said it in a whisper, unsure if she really wanted to say it, but there was no stopping the words from carrying. Suddenly, all eyes were on Daisy again, stunned faces looking quizzically at her. Toby particularly looked horrified, but Daisy didn't care what the tram thought anymore.

"Daisy, are you saying that you'd want to leave?" The Fat Controller asked cautiously, avoiding the greedy gaze of his old friend. Daisy paused, letting the thoughts that had only just occurred to her sink in. She looked at the other engines still here: Rosie, so desperate to expand; Titan, powerful enough to main the line on his own; Toby, wiser than she'd ever be, with more knowledge than all of them combined. These engines all had their roles, they all fitted into them and did so perfectly. Daisy had her job, one so different to them all, but it seemed none of them understood her or what she did – or, if they did, they didn't respect her work. _I either stay here and go ignored, or I can go somewhere where what I did today is actually appreciated…_

"Yes sir… yes I am."

* * *

**The final story is up next. I know this story has been a bit darker than most, but I promise the ending will... well, you'll just have to wait on that one, won't you? ;) **


	7. Farewells and Greetings

**Farewells and Greetings**

"I am proud to announce that, finally, the extension is –"

The Fat Controller's final words were cut off in a chorus of ecstatic whistles and ringing bells. It was a moment that the engines of Thomas' branch line had been waiting for for months, and they couldn't hold back any longer. Their crew clapped and whooped alongside them, and The Fat Controller laughed until their celebration had died down.

"As I was saying," he chortled, "the extension has finally been completed! All the track has been laid, the passenger bridge complete, the bus station ready to go alongside: everything is ready for this weekend's grand opening!"

"Hooray!" Rosie yelled, and the engines began whistling again. Thomas, Percy, Toby, Rosie and Flora could have kept going all day, but after several minutes the smiling Fat Controller eventually raised his hand for quiet.

"I am glad you are all excited, but we are not quite there yet. There are still a few things that have to be completed first. Tomorrow Basil will be going over the track checking the ballast, and the station itself is having some last licks of paint applied. I need all of you on your best behaviour, working hard to make sure this all works out. That means no more accidents, no running away; we all need to be focussed solely on the task at hand." His eyes flickered towards Percy on that last note, and his face went as red as his stripes. "You will all be assigned jobs to do, you will all work your hardest, and this will be the greatest railway opening that Sodor has ever seen!"

The engines sounded their whistles one final time, and the Fat Controller left them laughing all the way to the station. Their whistles followed him across the yard, but no one was louder than Thomas. The tank engine could barely contain himself: finally, after so many years, the extension was finally ready to open.

_We've made it, we've made it! _Thomas thought, smiling at all the other engines. Despite the last few weeks they had had, everyone was going to be here for the opening day. _I will finally puff into Ulfstead with my friends by my side – there's nothing better in the world!_ Thomas was particularly pleased Percy was back from the works.

"Nothing's going to stop us now, eh Percy?" Thomas whispered to his friend.

"I certainly hope not, except for… well, you know…" Percy trialled off, looking towards the station, and Thomas followed his line of sight. Titan was going through Ffarquhar with a long line of cattle trucks rattling behind him. Thomas felt his joy evaporate, and he sourly watched the big tank engine go. They still hadn't built him a new shed space yet: were they just waiting for one of them to leave so Titan could take their spot in the shed?

"I'm being silly," Percy muttered, laughing meekly as he watched Titan go. "If the Fat Controller was going to replace me, why would he have bothered sending me to the works?" He didn't sound convinced, but Thomas knew that he was probably right.

"Of course you aren't going to get scrapped, Percy, you don't need to worry about that!" He said with forced encouragement. As the two watched Titan disappear in the distance, the 100 year old tank engine knew that if anyone was going to be replaced, it was going to be him.

* * *

In the day leading up to the grand opening, there was an air of excitement across the entire branch line. No matter what job the engines did, whether it was collecting passengers, shunting trucks or delivering the milk, most of them wore a smile on their faces wherever they went. It was the biggest change to the line for decades, and everyone was excited to see the final product. The passengers were eager as well: on every platform waiting for every train, all people could talk about was the extension. Everyone was ready for the grand opening, and nothing was going to dampen their joy.

With just one day to go, there were no signs that the incidents over the past few weeks would have any lasting impact. Workers reported that the station was fully furnished and ready to go, while Basil's final inspection had been positive. Though Byron wasn't available, Jack, Alfie and Oliver made sure that the whole site was level, and Miss Jenny would give the extension her seal of approval twenty four hours before the first train was meant to arrive.

The morning before the opening, the engines were told how the ceremony would go. Thomas would lead the way with Annie and Clarabel from Ffarquhar, with Daisy given pride of place behind him for her last train on the line. Lord Brandon had wanted to take her back to his railway straight away, but Daisy wanted to see the new line, so he had agreed she would not leave until the day after the opening.

It had been a tough few weeks for Daisy. At the time, the idea of going to a new railway had seemed like the best decision she had ever made. But ever since then, in the quiet moments late at night, the railcar wondered if she was making the right move. She had lived on Sodor for so many years now that it was going to be tough to say goodbye to all she knew.

With just one day left on the branch line, the railcar was feeling the gravity of her situation more than ever. It was late in the afternoon, and Daisy sat waiting for Bertie at Ffarquhar Station. As the minutes ticked on, all she could do was stare at the banners and bunting that had gone up. Everyone else was ready to celebrate, and Daisy wanted to join in, but she could not get in the mood.

"Hello Daisy." Her thoughts were interrupted as Toby appeared beside her, coaches and brake van in tow.

"Hi Toby," Daisy replied mournfully. The tram's cheery smile faded and he looked quizzically at his friend. Daisy sighed and glanced away, not sure if she could meet his eye. "Am I making the right decision, Toby?"

"What do you mean – do you mean leaving?"

"Yes… I just feel… conflicted, all of a sudden. After how you all treated me the other week, I thought it would be easy to leave and go somewhere I am better appreciated. But what if the engines at the new place don't like me? What if I don't like it? What if it snows a lot there? Oh, Toby, am I making a huge mistake?"

She finally looked back at the tram, and a wash of affection for the old engine came over her. Toby was listening attentively and smiling calmly, and there was no judgment in his face. He would be the engine Daisy missed most of all: Toby had taught her so much and had always been understanding and helpful, the best mentor an engine could possibly have.

"Daisy, only you can decide if you have made the right choice or not. The only thing I can say is that we will all miss you if you go; the branch line won't be the same place without you."

"You didn't even want me here when I first arrived," Daisy purred cheekily, and Toby laughed.

"Well, you were a bit… difficult, shall we say?" Both engines began laughing at this, but for Daisy, it quickly turned to sadness as a thought occurred to her.

"You still think of me as that engine sometimes, don't you?" Toby fell silent, smile quickly turning to a frown. "You don't think I contribute as much to the railway, that I'm just a silly railcar who does nothing –"

"Of course not!" Toby said firmly. "Is that about what happened with the trucks? We were all proud of you Daisy, you have to know that, and I wish we could have to recognise what you did. It was never about ignoring you or not wanting to celebrate. It simply was that we cannot stop what we are doing, especially during such a busy time, and talk about you helping out. You mention how long you've been on the line: that's the first time you have ever helped us out with our trucks, there were so many opportunities you could have helped and we could have given you the attention you deserved."

The tram paused for a moment, and as they fell silent, noise erupted on the platform. Passengers suddenly were swarming into Daisy, her doors banging shut. She had completely forgotten she had a train to take. She could only think about what Toby had just said.

"Daisy, everyone on this branch line appreciates what you do – we just can't always stop to say it."

"You could have… just this once."

Toby's face sunk and he sighed. "Perhaps you're right. Whatever decision you make Daisy, it has to be on your terms, but just know that we will miss you every single day if you go."

Before Daisy could say anything, a whistle interrupted her thoughts. Unable to bear looking at Toby any longer, she took off straight away, slipping quietly out of the station. She wished she could have said something, but Daisy knew there was nothing left to say – she simply had to decide.

* * *

Finally, the day of the opening had arrived.

After such a long wait, everyone was getting into the festivities. An explosion of bunting had gone up around Ffarquhar to celebrate the big day. All the coaches were draped in bright banners, while the trucks that filled the sidings were obediently wearing flags and streamers. The stations had all put up decorations to help build the mood, and every town and village along the branch line was buzzing with excitement.

But no one was as excited as Ulfstead. The mood in the town was one of overwhelming happiness, and everyone had come out in force to celebrate. Even though it was still a few hours away, the platforms at the new station were already overflowing as people lined up to witness the first train's arrival. That left everyone else to cram themselves into the new bus station, where food stalls had been set up and a big band was playing in the corner, the sound of trumpets, tubas and drums echoing throughout the town. For such a big event to happen to the small community, they were not going to let it be a quiet affair.

At Ffarquhar Sheds, Thomas and Daisy were being prepared for the big event. The two had been left alone with their crews and cleaners so they were perfectly polished and ready to lead the congregation. Flora and Mavis were bringing passengers up from Knapford, while Percy and Rosie collecting The Pack so they could be part of the opening procession as well. Toby and Elise were taking an inspector along the new line to make sure the track was clear and ready for the opening.

For Thomas, he could not wait for the moment where he chugged into the town. After so many delays, it seemed surreal to think this day had finally come. It was quite simply the biggest day in the history of his branch line, and all throughout being cleaned Thomas could not stop smiling.

"Can you believe we are finally going to see the new town?" He called out to Daisy. "And you and I will be right at the front – I can't wait!"

"Sorry Thomas, did you say something?" The railcar replied, sounding distant. Thomas looked at her with a frown, his own enthusiasm fading a little at her response.

"No Daisy, it's alright." Daisy nodded and went back to staring into spare. Thomas could understand why she was quiet: this was her last day on the railway, and he knew she must be going through a lot.

_I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to leave all this behind_¸ Thomas thought. As he looked around the yard, so many memories were stirred up. He could remember clearly the day Percy had been covered in hay, the day he had crashed into the stationmaster's house, when Diesel had helped rescue Clarabel.

_100 years on this island… so much has changed since I arrived. _For a brief moment, Thomas thought of his life before arriving here, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. The tank engine had loved his time here, and he knew that he had been lucky to enjoy the hospitality and kindness of the four Fat Controllers. But how much longer would that last?

_I would never leave this behind. This is my branch line, this is my home, this is where my friends are. If I leave Sodor, what else is there for me? _

A sudden clatter and bang snapped Thomas right out of his day dreaming. For a moment, he worried if there had been an accident, and he looked around wildly for the source of the noise. With a sigh of relief, he saw it was just Titan shunting a line of stone trucks together, though his appearance only stirred up more concerns.

"What's he doing working?" Thomas asked roughly, eyeing the green engine suspiciously.

"A regular shipment of stone has to go out today," Thomas' driver explained as he scrubbed the tank engine's buffers. "Titan volunteered to take it so everyone else could be part of the celebrations - nice of him, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Thomas replied, though he didn't mean. He was glad to see Titan wasn't going to be part of the procession – only the important engines were taking part, the ones that truly mattered.

However, as Titan was coupled to his train, Thomas felt a strong pang of guilt: if the bit tank engine hadn't arrived, the line might never have been opened on time, not without them all working even harder than they already were. For the first time since the engine had arrived, Thomas realised how much Titan had done to help them.

"I think you are just about ready." Thomas looked down at his driver, who was staring admirably at his cleaning efforts. "Shall we go collect Annie and Clarabel?"

"Yes, let's," Thomas replied, though his attention was solely on Titan as the green engine left the yard. His feeling of guilt passed, and Thomas felt more determined than ever to haul the first train. _There isn't enough room on this line for all of us – if someone's going to go, it's not going to be me._

* * *

When Thomas, Annie and Clarabel pulled into Ffarquhar an hour later, a cheer erupted so loud it could be heard throughout the town. The Fat Controller, the station master, the mayors of Ffarquhar and Ulfstead, Lady Hatt, everyone important lined the platform cheering them on. Thomas smiled at them all and sounded his whistle to rival their cheer.

"Save some of that for Ulfstead!" The Fat Controller boomed. Thomas winked at him and cheekily whistled again, causing the crowd to laugh. The tank engine began to laugh as well, soaking up the atmosphere. They were all here to see the first engine to pull a train to Ulfstead.

_This is my branch line, who else would take the train?_ Thomas thought. Now that he was here, he could see all those weeks of worrying had been for nothing. After today, there was no way he would be getting replaced.

"When are we heading off?" He asked the Fat Controller.

"Once Toby comes back with the inspector and we know things are clear, you will head off with the first train. He should be back soon," the bald man replied, checking his pocket watch. Thomas nodded and focussed on the new track heading west, waiting for his friend to come back. He could see Daisy waiting on another track, while Percy, Rosie, Mavis and Flora would soon be joining in – everything was ready to go, and Thomas couldn't wait to get started.

Fifteen minutes later, there was still no sign of Toby. Thomas remained optimistic, certain it was only a slight hiccup. He kept his eyes on the track ahead, thinking about what the new station might look like, and didn't notice as the stationmaster approached his crew and the Fat Controller. But after several minutes, Thomas began to notice their intense whispering and fear rose up his firebox: had there been accident?

"Thomas, there's been a change of plans," his driver said, breaking away from the pack.

"Has Toby had an accident?"

"It's not to do with Toby – he's just been held up by some sheep running across the line. He'll be here soon. No, it's Titan. His side rods have snapped; he's stuck at the harbour. Someone has to go and collect him."

Thomas' worry quickly turned to fear than rage. "Can't someone else get him?"

"No, Thomas, the other engines are busy. Rosie and Mavis can't abandon their passengers, and the Pack is too heavy for Percy or Rosie to take on their own."

"Surely there are other engines that could help out. Have they asked Cole or Arthur – what about Wilson, he's the Works Diesel!"

"Thomas, you know very well it could be a long time before they find someone else that is available!" The Fat Controller stepped forwards, looking thunderous. "We cannot just abandon another engine while we are all having a celebration!"

"You will still pull Annie and Clarabel when you get back," Thomas' driver added. "Daisy's going to lead now, and Toby will follow with Henrietta and Victoria." Thomas wanted to argue, but he knew it had already been decided. He tried to say something, but he simply seized up, overwhelmed by weeks of fear suddenly coming true. Meekly, he wheeshed steam at the three men, but he no energy to do anything else.

As Thomas pulled away from the platform, Annie and Clarabel twittering curiously behind him, the sound of a ringing bell echoed in the distance: Toby was on his way home, the celebrations would soon begin, and instead of leading it on his line, Thomas was being sent on an errand. Never had he felt so useless, unneeded – never had Thomas been more convinced he didn't matter on his branch line.

* * *

"Thomas, what are you doing here? Haven't the celebrations started?"

Thomas ignored Percy as he raced past. He couldn't bear to look at him, to face up to what was happening. He felt the eyes of the Pack watching him as he passed, and Tomas knew they were all thinking the same as Percy: why wasn't he leading the procession? Their confusion only made Thomas angrier, and he roared down the line, zooming through stations and rattling over level crossings, putting as much distance between himself and the opening as possible.

_I was meant to pull the train… I was meant to pull the train… I was meant to pull the train… _

"Be careful, Thomas!" His driver yelled as he raced through Toryreck. "You could cause an accident at these speeds!"

_And what would happen to me then – would I get repaired or just thrown on the scrap heap? _Bitterly, Thomas turned onto the harbour line and gathered speed, feeling the force of the wind battering against him. He wanted to keep going until his wheels ached, until he had no energy left - there were no words for the anger, the upset he felt. It had been foolish to think he still had a future here – they didn't care about him anymore, they cared about Titan, they cared about what was new. If Thomas didn't matter anymore, then he certainly wasn't going to play it safe.

Finally, he reached the harbour. Racing under the bridge, he could see the ocean sparkling nearby, but Thomas was in no mood for seaside views. He was brought to a screeching halt, and found himself face to face with his rival.

There was no other way to describe it: Titan looked defeated. The green engine seemed mournful as he looked up at his saviour, his brutish face sunken and sad. Thomas had the anger knocked out of him, and for a moment he felt sorry for the saddle tank.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It hurt when they broke, but that's passed now." Thomas had never heard Titan speak more than a sentence at once, and could not help but be surprised.

"Well, I'm here now."

"I thought you had the opening to go to."

"I did, but I was apparently the only engine they could spare," Thomas replied, his bitterness rising up once more.

"Oh…" Titan looked away, unable to meet his eye. "Sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen…" Thomas wanted to remain angry, but the more he looked at Titan, the more he softened up.

Awkward silence passed as Titan was coupled to Thomas. The two engines who had barely spoken to each other were now buffer to buffer, neither quite sure what to say. As the two crews discussed what to do with Titan now, Thomas, unable to look anywhere else, stared at the other engine: the strong, silent engine was clearly upset, and the longer he looked at him, the less angry Thomas got.

"Are you sure you're alright? You don't look fine." Titan looked back at him for the first time in minutes, and he struggled to stifle a sob.

"Of course not… the Fat Controller's going to send me packing now."

"What? What makes you say that?"

"I've stopped being useful. There's no need for an old engine that falls apart, is there? I'll be sent back to the siding now, I'm sure of it."

"Siding, what siding?"

"The siding my old owner left me in," Titan replied quietly. "He told me I wasn't useful anymore, so I sent to a scrap yard and put in a siding. I thought I was going to be scrapped, but my driver told me some preservationists wanted to save me. I had to wait in that siding for a long time while they raised money, and when they finally brought me, I knew I couldn't be useful: I was rusted and falling apart, and all the diesels my old owner had replaced me with were much stronger. I knew I was going to fall apart eventually, I just wish I could have been more useful."

Titan fell silent, his deep voice drifting off as his eyes fell down to his buffers. Thomas was speechless, not sure what to say. He knew other engines on the island had escaped the scrapheap themselves but he had never heard about it from an engine first hand.

_ I've spent all these weeks afraid he'd replace me, I never once spoke to him, asked about his story… how could I have been so selfish? _

"Titan, you don't need to worry, the Fat Controller won't scrap you."

"He might send me away though," Titan replied, sniffing slightly. Thomas thought of something to say, a hundred different arguments rushing coming to mind. But as he did, a smile spread across his face. _Of course, you silly old engine, of course he won't send Titan away – he never sends anyone away. _

"What are you smiling about?" Titan asked. Thomas laughed, his smile widening as he felt the weight of weeks of worry and insecurity being lifted from his buffers.

"Come on, we've got a party to go to."

* * *

The noise that greeted Daisy as she pulled into Ulfstead was overwhelming. She had to come in slowly as so many people were lining the platforms there was a fear someone might fall onto the tracks, but that just meant the cheers went on for longer: for the first time ever, a train was pulling into their town, and they couldn't be happier.

_Their cheering for me – look how happy they all are! _Daisy thought as she came to a stop, smiling at all the yelling children and the whooping old ladies waving brollies in the air. The crowd moved aside as her doors swung open, and more cheers rang out as the important guests disembarked.

_This is great, they are all so happy to see us!_ Daisy couldn't stop smiling. She'd been feeling down all day thinking about her future, but now that she was here, the crowd's enthusiasm was infectious and Daisy instantly cheered up. If this was going to be her only visit to Ulfstead, it definitely was one to remember. Yet being here, seeing how happy everyone was, Daisy once again had to wonder if she'd made the right choice.

"What a fantastic welcome!" The railcar looked up to find Lord Brandon by her cab, waving at the townspeople. "I'm glad we stayed for this, I've never seen a crowd like this before."

"Surely you get people cheering on your railway though."

"Never in these numbers," her new owner replied. "It's a very small line, mind you: we never have that many passengers. I thought only being open on weekends we'd always have full trains, but we're a bit out of the way."

Daisy was taken aback by this. _Only open on weekends? That means less work… but more time in the sheds. _"What do your engines do the rest of the time?"

"They just sit about. They don't seem to mind, not like you lot. I mean, the sheds are open during the week, it's sort of like a working museum. The engines just don't do a lot. They don't mind though – better than being scrapped. They just wait until it's their turn to come out."

"Their… turn?"

"Oh yes, it's a rotational thing. Can't afford to have you all running at once, can I?" Lord Brandon chuckled at his own joke, not noticing the rage that had fallen across Daisy's face. "Oh look, here comes that tram."

Cheers erupted once more at Toby's approach, but Daisy hardly noticed as her friend appeared next to her. She was staring straight ahead, biting her lips to stop herself screaming, feeling her fuel boil. The answer she had been looking for for weeks was suddenly in front of her. She knew now what a huge mistake she had made – but she also knew that there was no way she would leave quietly.

* * *

Despite being the last train to leave, the people waiting at Ffarquhar still cheered as Thomas left the station, pulling Titan, Annie and Clarabel behind him. It was not the fanfare Thomas had wanted earlier, but he didn't mind as he set off down the line.

For the first time, Thomas was able to go down the new track and see it not as an unfinished construction site but the extension he had dreamed about. His wheels sang as they glided over the new track, and when they crossed the bridge, the sonorous rattle sounded perfect. People who couldn't make it to town had instead lined the tracks, waving at him and his passengers as they passed.

"Are you enjoying the line, Titan?" Thomas called out as they soared past fields full of sheep and cows.

"It's beautiful," the big tank engine said, his deep voice booming over the peace of the new line. "But… but why are you taking me to the opening?"

"You are a part of this railway, you helped build this line – you deserve to celebrate with the rest of us." Thomas had insisted Titan be coupled to his train. The two crews had their doubts, but eventually they agreed. Titan's damaged siderods were removed and his fire put out, meaning Thomas had to do all the work but he didn't mind.

"I'm sorry I wasn't very nice to you when I first got here," Titan said after a while. "I was worried if I got distracted trying to make friends I wouldn't be as useful as I could have been, and –"

"If anyone is going to apologise, it's me," Thomas interrupted with firm kindness. The big tank engine didn't reply to this, but Thomas let the words hang there as he enjoyed his ride down the new track. There would be plenty of time for talking later, plenty of time to catch up on all the missed opportunities from those first few weeks.

They travelled the rest of the journey in silence, simply appreciating the new views. The entrance to the town was marked by a large metal arch, with 'Ulfstead' born across the front in large letters. With great pride Thomas flew underneath it and entered the town he had long dreamed of running through.

It was all Thomas had wanted. The rails were sandwiched between the road on the left and houses on the right, curving around properties as it went the three kilometres into the town centre. It allowed Thomas to see the different sides of Ulfstead his driver had told him about, the modern houses mixed in with the ancient stone buildings. People leaned over fences to get a glimpse of the blue engine, and Thomas whistled to everyone he passed. Even though he wasn't saying anything, the tank engine could hear Titan chuckling softly and deeply behind him, and that made his smile widen.

They quickly arrived at the station in the heart of the town. The old and new really met here, with grey stone standing alongside the metal and glass of the bus station. Thomas could see Bertie grinning amongst all his new clients.

As they approached the station, Thomas saw all his friends were there: Toby, Flora and their coaches occupied on platform, with Percy, Rosie and the Pack on the other side in a goods siding. As he moved to the free platform that was shared with the road, Thomas was surprised to see Mavis and Daisy in a siding on the left, smoke rising out of the railcar. Though noise still rose up from the crowds, Thomas could still hear Daisy as she purred dramatically to her new owner.

"What can I say, sir; fitter always told me I was highly sprung. All this extra work, I was bound to blow a fuse at some point."

"Richard, what sort of engine have you tried to sell me?" Lord Brandon spluttered to the Fat Controller. "I can't take an engine who blows a fuse whenever she feels –"

"So sorry, David, but I see Thomas has just arrived!" The Fat Controller interrupted. His announcement set off a fresh chorus of cheers from the engines and those still lining the platform. Thomas blew his whistle as loudly as he could as he came to a stop. The crowds had thinned, making it a less raucous welcome, but Thomas was simply glad to be here. He beamed across to Toby and saw the tram was looking at his train.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Oh, just happy, is all," Toby replied, smiling in a knowing way. Thomas smirked back, knowing the tram would never point out he had been right all along.

"You missed my speech earlier, Thomas, but now that you're here, I have a special one just for you engines!" The Fat Controller boomed as he rushed through the crowd spilling out of Annie and Clarabel. As he climbed the footbridge, Bertie pulled up next to the platform, ready to greet the new passengers.

"How are you, Bertie?"

"Never better Thomas, never better!" The bus tooted. Thomas wanted to ask about his new station, but a cough sounded above, and his attention turned to the Fat Controller.

"I just wanted to say a hearty thank you to you all. Without the hard work of each and every one of you, there would be no extension. It has taken years to make this possible, but these last few weeks flew by thanks to the effortless commitment you all put in. There may have been a _few_ incidents on the way, but I know you were as committed to this project as I was, so thank you for making it such an effortless project." He began to clap, and those townspeople still waiting joined in the applause. Thomas' beam only widened: this line was never about him or Titan or anyone else, it was about doing it for them. He wished he had realised that earlier.

"What happens next, sir?" Percy peeped as the applause died down. "Now that the line is built, are we… are we all going to stay?"

Much to Thomas' pleasure, The Fat Controller looked shocked. "Are you asking me if I would send any of you away?" Percy didn't respond but nodded slightly. "Now Percy, you should know I never scrap my engines."

"I know sir, but I was just worried sir, with the new… changes, sir." Thomas felt Titan whimper behind him, but the Fat Controller shook his head and chuckled.

"Everyone has a purpose on my railway, and the same goes for all of you. With a whole new town to service, I will need you all more than ever. Rosie will be running passenger services full time out of Ulfstead, Titan will help with the heavier work, and that's just the beginning. Rest assured, Percy; there will always be a place on my railway for each and every one of you. Now stop this talk and celebrate!"

And on that, the engines whistled and honked as loudly as possible. Bertie joined in, tooting his horn, much to the surprise of his passengers. Thomas wondered if the people of Ulfstead were beginning to question letting them into their little town, but from the looks of their faces, they were just as pleased as them. The engines had made this for them, all eight of them; somewhere along the way, Thomas had forgotten that, but he could see now how wrong he was. It didn't matter how old or new someone was, this was not just his branch line – it was their branch line, and Thomas knew nothing was going to change that. They weren't going anywhere.

* * *

**It may have taken a while to get here, but there we are. I hope the (very long) wait was worthwhile - apologies it took so long, but I had to make sure the story ended the right way. Now I can put my full focus into _United We Stand_. Thanks to everyone that read, reviewed and all that, and here's to more of these in the future!**


End file.
